Melvin Anthony Gibson was 39 when he was shot and killed outside the Qulture Bistro lounge in Florence, South Carolina, in the early hours of Mother’s Day, May 11, 2025. The shooting occurred about 3 a.m. after a disturbance in the nightclub’s parking lot; witnesses said the gunman opened fire from the doorway after being denied entry. Gibson, a security guard at the club, was struck while attempting to shield patrons from the gunfire. Six other people were also injured in the incident.

Authorities arrested 40-year-old Brandon Thomas Cross and charged him with murder; Cross was injured during the incident and appeared in court in a wheelchair for his initial hearing, where he was denied bond. His attorney has said Cross is innocent and had no legal problems in the past two decades. Investigators have said the probe is ongoing and that additional arrests may be possible.

Gibson, known as Mel-G, was a father described by family and friends as courageous, hardworking, and warmhearted; his family had lost Gibson’s brother to gun violence the previous year. Does anyone who knew Melvin or was at the Qulture Bistro that night have information that could help the investigation?