Donovan Smalls, a 20-year-old male student at Benedict College, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of April 14, 2019, at a house party on Summers Avenue in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Originally from Goose Creek, Smalls was studying technical engineering. The party, which had prompted noise complaints, escalated into violence when gunfire erupted.
Officers from the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety responded to reports of the shooting and found Smalls on the ground with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. A female student from Claflin University was also wounded in the shooting but survived her injuries.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify 19-year-old Tyler Jamal Givens as the individual who fired the fatal shot. According to authorities, the incident began when another individual, 20-year-old Amber Green, fired a gun, which led to a chain reaction of others at the party also firing their weapons. One of the bullets struck and killed Donovan Smalls. Video evidence showed Givens arriving at the party with three other people and later firing a weapon.
Tyler Givens was arrested and charged with the murder of Donovan Smalls. His first trial in February 2024 ended in a mistrial after it was revealed that law enforcement had not shared all evidence with the defense. At his retrial in August 2024, a jury found Givens guilty of murder, assault, and weapons charges. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Another man, Ozante Fields, also faced charges in connection with Smalls' murder, with his trial expected to begin after Givens' sentencing. The charges against Amber Green were dismissed in 2022.
