A bright New Year's Day in 2020 turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy in the woods near Walterboro, South Carolina, ending the lives of 9-year-old Lauren Danielle Drawdy and her father, Kim Daniel Drawdy. The female child and her 30-year-old father were participating in a deer drive with two other hunters on Barracada Road when they were fatally shot.
The coroner later confirmed that both Lauren and her father died from buckshot pellet wounds to the chest.
Initially, the incident was reported as a tragic hunting accident. Lauren, a fourth-grader at Cottageville Elementary School who was affectionately known as 'Lolo,' was an avid lover of the outdoors. She frequently joined her father on hunting and fishing trips and had proudly harvested her first deer just a few months before her death. The close-knit community was left reeling from the loss of the young girl and her devoted father.
The investigation into the double fatality soon led to the identification of the shooter as Sean Peterson, another member of the hunting party. Peterson claimed he mistook the father and daughter for deer before firing the fatal shots. Following an investigation by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Peterson was arrested and faced legal consequences for his actions.
Sean Peterson was charged with two counts of negligent use of a firearm while engaged in hunting resulting in death. He later pleaded guilty to the charges. As a result of his plea, Peterson was sentenced to five years in jail, to be followed by four years of probation. The resolution of the legal case brought a measure of justice to the family, though the profound loss of a young girl and her father continues to be felt by their loved ones and the wider community.
