In the early evening of August 9, 2020, a sense of normalcy was shattered in a North Charleston, South Carolina apartment, leaving a family and community to grapple with a sudden and tragic loss. Inside a residence on the 3300 block of Florida Avenue, 21-year-old Deviere Wigfall, a Black male, was in the company of others when the unexpected happened. A single gunshot rang out, forever altering the course of many lives.
The shot, fired from a gun held by a 14-year-old, struck Wigfall, inflicting a fatal wound.
Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 6:41 PM, where they found Deviere Wigfall lying on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound. Despite any efforts to render aid, his life could not be saved. The Charleston County Coroner's office would later confirm that a single gunshot wound was the cause of his death. The news of the young man's passing sent ripples of sorrow through his circle of family and friends, who were left to mourn a life cut tragically short.
The North Charleston Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting. As detectives pieced together the events of that evening, their findings pointed not to a malicious act, but to a heartbreaking accident. The investigation concluded that the 14-year-old had accidentally discharged the firearm, leading to the fatal injury of Deviere Wigfall. Because the incident was determined to be accidental, no arrests were made in connection with his death. The case, therefore, did not involve any suspects or subsequent trials, leaving the community to focus on the devastating consequences of the unintentional act and the importance of firearm safety.
