Pat Charles "Snake" Mackey, a 57-year-old Black male from Iva, South Carolina, saw his life come to a sudden and violent end on July 27, 2016. A resident of Leona Drive, he was known to his friends and family for his big smile and welcoming heart. The events leading to his death reportedly stemmed from a property dispute, a conflict that escalated into a fatal shooting at his home.
Despite the severity of the incident, public records and local reports from the time provided little immediate clarity on the legal resolution of the case, leaving a cloud of unanswered questions over the circumstances of the altercation.
In the wake of the tragedy, his mother, Reverend Mary Lou Mackey, became a vocal advocate for her son, expressing the deep pain of her loss and her desperate need for justice. Months after the shooting, she spoke publicly about the anguish of losing a child and the sleepless nights that followed, indicating that the path to closure was fraught with delays. While the investigation into the shooting was handled by the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, detailed information regarding a specific suspect, arrest, or subsequent conviction has not been widely publicized in available open-source records, suggesting the case may have faced complications or remained resolved without a high-profile trial.
Mackey was remembered by his community and loved ones not just as a victim of gun violence, but as a father, brother, and grandfather. He left behind a grieving family, including his mother, his son Patrick McBride, step-son Chantommie McBride, and two grandchildren. His funeral was held at the Belmont Church of God in Anderson, followed by interment at Anderson Memorial Gardens, where friends and relatives gathered to pay their final respects to a man whose life was cut short in his own front yard.
