Preston Gage Pitman, 22, of Crawfordville, Florida, was fatally shot on May 19, 2018, during a high school graduation celebration held in a wooded area on St. Marks Rise Road near the Leon County line. Preston was born June 24, 1995, in Tallahassee and was remembered by family and friends as compassionate, adventurous, free-spirited, and a self-taught musician who loved the outdoors.

Witnesses reported seeing 20-year-old Riley Attridge pull a handgun from his waistband and begin firing. Attridge claimed Preston attacked him and said he fired in self-defense, but investigators found physical evidence at the scene that contradicted that account. A Wakulla grand jury later indicted Attridge on first-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia; he was arrested and charged with Preston Pitman’s murder.

Preston’s death had a profound impact on his community and loved ones. If anyone has information about the shooting or remembers Preston from Crawfordville or the celebration that night, please share what you know.