Zyquavion Hickman, a 20-year-old Black man from Hartsville, South Carolina, was at the center of a violent night that unfolded along Washington Street, near Hartsville High School. Late on April 9, 2021, police responded to reports of gunfire and found him suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his head, above his eye. Officers tried to keep him alive, pressing down on the wound while emergency medical crews rushed him to a hospital, but he died from his injuries.
Early accounts painted the chaos as something that started with a fight at the Palmetto Apartments on Washington Street—an argument or confrontation that escalated until shots were fired. By the time the scene settled enough for officials to begin taking statements, two other people had also been wounded. The Darlington County coroner, Todd Hardee, identified Hickman as the person killed and ruled the death a homicide, while police said the investigation was still unfolding.
What happened in the moments that led to the gunfire was left largely in shadow. A police incident report referenced in local coverage did not lay out what sparked the shooting, and authorities did not publicly describe who fired the weapon or how many shooters may have been involved. In the days immediately afterward, officials emphasized that they were still working the case, with key details withheld as detectives tried to piece together who had been present and how the fight turned lethal.
In the midst of the unanswered questions, fragments of Hickman’s life surfaced through memorial information shared after his death. He was born January 23, 2001, attended Darlington County schools, and graduated from Hartsville High School in 2019. He pursued technical training—earning a certificate in Mechanical Designs—and worked jobs including McDonald’s and KFC, later employed at A. O. Smith Water Products Company, where he received a welding certification.
As for accountability, publicly available reporting from the period immediately following the shooting stated that no arrests had been announced as of press time the following Monday, and the case was described as ongoing. Those reports did not name any suspects, describe any arrests, or detail any later court proceedings connected to Hickman’s homicide.
