Damontay Darius Wheeler was 17 when he was found fatally shot at Drawdy Park in Winnsboro, South Carolina, the evening of August 22, 2018. Emergency personnel located him near the west wall of the multi-purpose field around 8 p.m.; the Fairfield County Coroner later confirmed his identity and pronounced him dead at the scene.

A rising senior at Fairfield Central High School, Wheeler was described by family as creative and respectful. He worked at Italian Gardens, enjoyed cooking, and drew people, landscapes and cartoons with plans to pursue art. The community held a public viewing and Celebration of Life at his high school.

The Winnsboro Department of Public Safety, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division opened a homicide probe that investigators treated as possibly gang-related. Authorities identified an 18-year-old, Keonta Jaquez Johnson, as a suspect; he was located in Allendale after having been in the Winnsboro area and was taken into custody and returned to Winnsboro to face charges.

Did anyone in the community know Damontay, his routines, or who he spent time with that evening?