Fourteen-year-old Zakius Joshua Davis died in Gaffney, South Carolina, in the early hours of February 12, 2023. He was at the home of an assistant basketball coach when he reportedly found a .380 handgun in a kitchen cabinet. According to the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office, Zakius began handling the firearm while singing; a 13-year-old teammate witnessed him press the gun to his chest and the weapon discharged.

Zakius collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene just before 1 a.m. The coroner ruled the shooting accidental and urged adults to secure firearms to prevent children’s access, whether the guns are loaded or not. Zakius attended Ewing Middle and Gaffney High School, played drums at his church, and was active in AAU and YMCA basketball, remembered as sweet and funny.

If anyone has information about the circumstances that night or knew Zakius, please share what you know.