On August 5, 2017, violence in the early morning on Whittaker Parkway in Orangeburg, South Carolina, ended with the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Michael Hartwell. Witnesses reported a tense interaction between two men that escalated when a man approached a parked truck; the truck’s owner walked toward the pair and moments later gunfire rang out. Hartwell was found on the ground with fatal gunshot wounds; the shooter left the scene.

The Orangeburg County Coroner identified Hartwell as the victim. The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation and identified 37-year-old Curran Jennings of Dillon, South Carolina, as the primary suspect. Investigators were able to speak with Jennings by phone and later conducted an official interview. Two days after the shooting Jennings appeared in court and was charged with murder; bond decisions were deferred to a circuit court judge.

If anyone witnessed the incident or has information about what led to the confrontation, please share what you know.