Michael Alexander McMinn was 22 and a popular physical education teacher at Belton Preparatory Academy when he died on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. A son of a pastor and an active member of Whitefield Baptist Church, he was remembered for being kind, caring and committed to his students and community.

Authorities say the shooting occurred in a home on Kiwi Road in Abbeville at about 12:30 a.m. while a relative was showing McMinn a new firearm. The gun reportedly discharged as the family member, who is a firefighter in Abbeville County, was racking the slide. McMinn was found in a bedroom with a single gunshot wound, airlifted to a hospital, and later died. The Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office classified the death as accidental and announced no charges would be filed.

His family set up the Alex McMinn Love One Another Legacy Fund at Anderson University in his memory. If anyone knew Alex or has information about the morning of October 31, please share what you remember.