In the early morning hours of September 21, 2019, the life of 23-year-old Steven Lavonta Buie Jr., an African American male, was tragically cut short on Harris Street in Charleston, South Carolina. Authorities responded to the scene at approximately 3:56 a.m. to investigate a fatal shooting. The Charleston County Coroner's Office later identified the victim as the young North Charleston resident.
Law enforcement believed the shooting to be an isolated incident and began canvassing the neighborhood, going door-to-door to gather any information that might lead to a suspect.
The investigation by the Charleston Police Department quickly pointed to a primary suspect. Warrants were issued for the arrest of 29-year-old Javon Isaiah Brown, charging him with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. A couple of days later, on the afternoon of September 23, 2019, Brown was located and apprehended by law enforcement on Beaufort Avenue in North Charleston.
In the wake of this sudden loss, friends and family gathered to mourn and remember a life taken too soon. A Celebration of Life service for Steven Lavonta Buie Jr. was held on September 27, 2019, at a mortuary in North Charleston. He was survived by his mother, Paulette Manigault; his fathers, Steven Buie Sr. and Shannon Johnson; his four brothers; his grandparents; and his fiancée, Desare Aaliyah Eddings.
