Travis Antonio Draper, a 41-year-old Black man, was shot and killed in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on August 5, 2021, in what authorities described as a road rage incident. Draper, a married father of three, was on his way to work at BMW that morning and was on the phone with his wife when the altercation occurred.
The incident began with a verbal dispute at a red light and escalated as both drivers continued onto Highway 295.
According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, Draper pursued the other driver, pulling alongside his vehicle. It was at this point that authorities claim Draper pointed a gun at the other driver, a white man who has not been publicly identified. In response, the other driver fired a single shot, which fatally wounded Draper. The shooter then left the scene and drove to work, later telling investigators he was unaware that his bullet had struck Draper.
Following an investigation, the Spartanburg County Sheriff, Chuck Wright, announced that the shooting was considered a case of self-defense under South Carolina's 'Stand Your Ground' law. Consequently, no charges were filed against the shooter. Sheriff Wright stated that evidence indicated Draper was the aggressor in the incident. This decision was met with immediate backlash from Travis Draper's family and community members, who held protests demanding justice.
The family retained attorney Bakari Sellers, who publicly contested the sheriff's office's findings and called for a more thorough and transparent investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The family found it 'unconscionable' that the shooter was not charged with any crime, particularly for leaving the scene of the incident. They also demanded the release of surveillance video of the event to provide a clearer picture of what transpired. Despite the family's public pleas and official requests for a SLED investigation in September 2021, online sources do not contain information about whether SLED ever opened a formal investigation or the final outcome of that request. The case, as documented in available online reports, concluded with the sheriff's office's initial determination of self-defense and no charges being filed.
