Jayden Hunter Hicks, 19, of Salisbury, North Carolina, died on June 21, 2025, after suffering a fatal gunshot wound in a bedroom on the 100 block of Hutchins Way. Deputies say a friend called 911 in the early morning and reported he had shot his friend. Investigators later described the rifle as believed by the shooter to be unloaded; the rifle was picked up, pointed at Jayden, and fired. Jayden was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving measures.

Authorities identified the shooter as 19-year-old Colton Alexander Adkins, who told deputies he thought the rifle was not loaded and who immediately called 911. The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Adkins with involuntary manslaughter and he was held on a $10,000 secured bond. Obituaries describe Jayden as a Salisbury teen who loved the outdoors, fishing, skateboarding, golfing, and dirt bikes and who had attended Carson and East Rowan High Schools before enrolling with Penn Foster Online High School.

Does anyone have information about Jayden’s last known movements or about the incident that could help clarify what happened that night?