In the early morning hours of November 5, 2017, deputies responded to a home on Colonial Acres Road in Laurens, South Carolina, and found 35-year-old Michael Eric McCraney deceased from two shotgun blasts, one striking his neck. The shooting was initially investigated as a homicide.

After a review by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, authorities concluded the shooting was an act of self-defense. The death was ruled a justifiable homicide, no criminal charges were filed, and the investigation was closed. Law enforcement did not publicly release the identity of the person who fired the shots.

McCraney was a Laurens resident who attended Laurens District 55 High School and later colleges in Charleston and Spartanburg; a memorial service was held for him at the First Baptist Church of Laurens on November 8, 2017. Does anyone have information about Michael McCraney or the events that night?