Kush Jitendra Patel, 22, was killed in Boiling Springs, South Carolina, on June 6, 2021 after a night in which he and a friend ingested LSD. Reports say Patel suffered a bad drug-induced episode and became erratic; his friend, James Byrd, armed himself during the encounter. Byrd shot Patel multiple times on Swain Avenue; Patel was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead at 4:13 a.m.

An autopsy showed Patel had been shot seven times. Byrd told investigators he acted in self-defense, saying he believed Patel was attacking him, but his statements changed during the investigation and a homeowner who had been present testified for the prosecution. A jury convicted Byrd of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and the court sentenced him to life plus five years.

Are there details about Patel’s life in Boiling Springs or the night of June 6 that readers can add to help clarify what happened?