Javon Thomas was an 18-year-old male who was shot and killed while walking in North Charleston, South Carolina, on the evening of Saturday, February 19, 2022. Police say a vehicle pulled up beside him near the corner of Commtock and Cosmopolitan avenues. Words were exchanged, gunfire erupted, and Thomas was fatally wounded after an exchange of shots as he tried to flee.

The North Charleston Police Department investigated and identified a suspect, Courtney Richards, who reportedly stopped his car and opened fire on Thomas. In August 2024 a jury found Richards guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and Richards was sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison for his role in Thomas’s death.

If anyone saw what happened that night or has information that hasn’t been shared with authorities, please come forward.