Raelan Cole Hamilton, a 21-year-old Black man from Greer, South Carolina, was killed on September 23, 2022, during a private quick-draw contest with a longtime friend. Hamilton and James Marcus Turner regularly practiced a routine that began with unloaded pistols, then inserting a loaded magazine without chambering a round. On the 15th round that evening at a home on Red Raven Drive, Turner accidentally chambered a round and, when he pulled the trigger, fatally shot Hamilton.

Emergency services responded and Hamilton was pronounced dead. The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office detained Turner and Turner’s grandfather, who made the 911 call, for questioning; their accounts were consistent with each other and with the physical evidence. Turner later turned himself in and was charged with involuntary manslaughter and released on bond. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized the dangers of improper firearm handling.

Did anyone in Greer know Hamilton or observe the quick-draw contests and the safety practices the two men used?