Robert Preston Crawford, 17, was found dead from a gunshot wound in a motel room at the Sun Inn on Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley, South Carolina, in the early hours after midnight on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Deputies from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office discovered the door open and the young man unresponsive on the room’s floor; emergency personnel pronounced him deceased. The Pickens County Coroner ruled the death a homicide and detectives began interviewing witnesses, family, friends and acquaintances as part of the investigation.

Officials described the shooting as an isolated incident and said they did not believe the public was in ongoing danger. No arrests had been announced, and investigators had not released a motive or named any person of interest. If anyone has information about Robert’s death or the events at the Sun Inn that night, please contact the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office or submit an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers.