A routine morning deer hunt in Cameron, South Carolina, ended in tragedy on November 24, 2023, when six-year-old Avery Davis was struck in the head by a stray shotgun pellet while in an elevated deer stand with another child. His father rushed him to a nearby hospital; Avery died of his injuries the next day. Avery’s parents chose to donate his organs, and that decision reportedly saved four other people.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources investigated and identified the shooter as a 17-year-old male. SCDNR described the shooting as accidental; at the time of the initial reports the investigation was ongoing and no decision on criminal charges had been announced. The community held events to honor Avery and support his family, and his father remembered him as having a bright soul and big heart.

If anyone has information about the shooting or remembers that day in Cameron, please share what you know.