In the late hours of a February night in Sumter, South Carolina, a gathering of friends turned into a scene of tragedy. On February 18, 2018, 20-year-old Kyishawn Archie, a Black male also known as Carter Johnson, was at a residence on Meadow Circle with two friends. The three young men were handling a rifle when the weapon unintentionally discharged, striking Archie with a single gunshot.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and Kyishawn Archie was rushed to Palmetto Health
Tuomey. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The Sumter Police Department investigated the incident and determined that the shooting was accidental.
In connection with the fatal shooting, authorities arrested one of Archie's friends, 19-year-old Rashid Qawiyy Spain. He was identified as the individual handling the rifle at the time it discharged. Spain was subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter, a charge that indicates the death was unintentional but resulted from reckless or negligent actions. The investigation did not lead to any further suspects or charges of murder, with the legal proceedings focusing on the involuntary manslaughter charge against Spain.
