Nigel Malik Smith, 23, was shot and killed on September 19, 2024, on Georgia Acres Road in Gray Court, South Carolina. The Laurens County Coroner’s Office ruled the cause of death a fatal gunshot wound, and the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office opened an active investigation into the killing.

Authorities quickly identified a primary suspect as 17-year-old Kamarius Lee Cunningham and issued a warrant charging him with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A search for the teenager was launched and law enforcement urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward; they described the shooting as an isolated incident. Cunningham was later located and taken into custody.

Smith is mourned by his parents, siblings, grandmother and extended family. He was remembered at a celebration of life on September 26, 2024, and buried at Orchard Park Memorial Gardens. Does anyone in the Gray Court area have information that could help clarify what happened that night?