In the late hours of a September evening in Anderson, South Carolina, the life of 23-year-old Lawrence Mikal Blackwell Jr. came to a violent end. On September 27, 2018, Blackwell, a Black / African American male, was fatally shot in the head. The incident unfolded at the Prowlers Lounge, a nightclub on East Shockley Ferry Road, where Blackwell and another individual were allegedly attempting to force their way into the establishment using an ax.
A person who had been asked by the hospitalized club owner to watch over the property confronted the two men. It was during this confrontation that the individual shot Blackwell. The second person with Blackwell reportedly fled the scene and disappeared into the nearby woods. Authorities were notified, and an investigation into the shooting began. The shooter, whose identity was not publicly disclosed, cooperated with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. At the time of the initial reports, no charges had been filed against him as the investigation was ongoing.
The circumstances of Blackwell's death were further complicated by his own recent legal troubles. Just a month prior, in August 2018, he had been released from jail on a $25,000 surety bond. He was awaiting trial for the murder of Howard 'Cookie' Gaines Jr., a local towing business operator. Gaines had been killed in a shootout at another Anderson nightclub, Big D's Lounge, on January 8, 2018. Blackwell was accused of shooting Gaines multiple times with a handgun. His own death occurred before he could be tried for this alleged crime, adding another layer to the series of violent events.
