In the quiet town of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, the life of 12-year-old Hope Alexandria Fair was tragically cut short on a December evening in 2013. A White female, Hope was described by her mother as a joyful, outgoing, and creative girl with a love for art and music. She was a seventh-grader at Hickory Tavern Middle School, known for making friends with everyone she met.
On Sunday, December 29, 2013, Hope was visiting a friend at a mobile home on Hanging Tree Road.
While there, a 15-year-old boy was handling a Colt. 380 handgun. As he was loading a magazine into the firearm, it discharged. The single bullet struck Hope in the head. She was rushed to the hospital, where she died about an hour later, at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The 15-year-old boy, whose name was not publicly released, was taken into custody by the Laurens County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Juvenile Justice. He was subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter. According to reports, the boy's account of the events changed multiple times. Initially, he called 911 to report that he had heard a gunshot and found Hope wounded. However, his cousin, who was Hope's friend and also present at the scene, informed dispatchers that the boy was holding the pistol when it went off and had then taken the weapon and hidden it outside the mobile home.
Despite the inconsistencies in the boy's story, Hope's family publicly stated that they believed the shooting was a tragic accident. They expressed sympathy and prayers for the boy and his family, even meeting with them in the days following the devastating incident. The 15-year-old was not charged as an adult, and the case was handled within the juvenile justice system. No further legal actions regarding this case have been reported.
