In the spring of 2016, the life of 25-year-old Chance Chad Tate was tragically cut short on the evening of April 18th in Anderson, South Carolina. Tate, a male resident of the city, was discovered on H Street at approximately 9:45 p.m., having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The Anderson County Coroner's Office pronounced him dead at the scene, initiating a homicide investigation into the violent encounter.
Preliminary findings from the investigation suggested that the shooting was not a random act of violence, such as a drive-by or a drug-related incident. Instead, it was believed that Tate was familiar with his assailant.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, and in the early morning hours of the following day, authorities made an arrest. Gerald Akeem Gadsden, 26 years old at the time, was taken into custody around 3:15 a.m. in the parking lot of AnMed Health Medical Center. He was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
During his initial bond hearing, Gadsden's behavior was erratic. He claimed to be hearing voices and stated that he had not been receiving his medication. Despite these claims, which were met with skepticism by some of Tate's friends and family present in the courtroom, the magistrate denied him bond on the weapon charge. A bond for the murder charge was deferred to a Circuit Court judge. It was also revealed that Gadsden had an extensive and violent criminal history, including prior convictions for assault and battery with intent to kill, armed robbery, and unlawful carrying of a weapon. At the time of his arrest for Tate's murder, he was already facing separate charges in Greenville County for armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, and criminal conspiracy. The courtroom was filled with emotion as those who knew and loved Chance Chad Tate confronted the man accused of his murder.
