A South Carolina man is still in detention without bond following a fatal shooting inside a Rock Hill smoke store. In an unusual twist, his defense blamed the occurrence on the eating of a psychedelic-laced chocolate bar.
According to several sources, on December 4, 2024, Zachary Elias, 28, entered Budiman’s Smokeshop & Art Gallery in Rock Hill without a shirt or shoes and armed with an assault rifle. He allegedly asked for the “mushroom man” before opening fire.
The shooting claimed the lives of 27-year-old employee Celci Johnson and 49-year-old customer Emad Thabet Saadalla. Saadalla’s wife was also injured, but she survived. A fourth person escaped uninjured.
Elias left the scene but was captured after ramming his car over the Catawba River Bridge. He faces two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of having a weapon during a violent crime.
Judge rejects Elias’ mushroom alibi.
Fast forward to September 2025, and Elias’ attorney, Alexandre Benevento, claimed that Elias had unknowingly consumed psilocin, a psychedelic substance, from a chocolate bar purchased at the smoke shop earlier that day. Benevento argued that the presence of psilocin in Elias’ system caused involuntary drunkenness, which impaired his mental state during the shooting, and that he should be allowed bond.
The defense provided proof of psilocin in Elias’ system, despite the fact that the chemical was not listed on the chocolate bar’s wrapper. Benevento decried the sale of such products, saying, “We’re talking about candy, your honor, we’re talking about candy.”
Prosecutor Kevin Brackett countered that Elias willfully bought the chocolate bar, labeled “magic mushroom chocolate,” with the intention of altering his mental state. Brackett underlined that Elias paid $32 for the bar, indicating a desire to consume a psychoactive substance. The judge rejected bond, emphasizing the gravity of the accusations and Elias’ potential threat to the community.
Elias remains at the York County Jail. The case has sparked debate over the regulation of items offered in smoke shops. Local officials have raised alarm about the lack of control, pointing out that drugs like psilocin can be distributed without adequate labeling or regulation.
