In the pre-dawn hours of a summer morning in Fort Mill, South Carolina, a sequence of events unfolded that would end in the death of 23-year-old Kendale Richardson Williams. On July 27, 2025, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Williams was found deceased from a gunshot wound in the parking lot of the Motel 6 on Foothills Way, near the bustling thoroughfare of Carowinds Boulevard.
The investigation into the shooting quickly focused on a rideshare driver who had been detained at the scene.
This individual, who has not been publicly named, told authorities a harrowing tale of self-defense. According to the driver's account, he had picked up Williams for a ride to the motel. Upon their arrival, and while still inside the vehicle, Williams allegedly attacked the driver, first by using a stun gun on him and then by attempting to strangle him.
In response to what was described as a physical attack, the rideshare driver, who was legally carrying a firearm, discharged his weapon, striking Williams. One witness who lived at the motel recalled hearing the gunshot and seeing the car crash into an RV before Williams rolled out onto the ground. The driver remained at the scene and was cooperative with the ensuing investigation conducted by the York County Sheriff's Office.
After a thorough investigation and a review of the evidence, both the York County Sheriff's Office and the Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office concluded that the rideshare driver had acted in self-defense. Citing South Carolina's Protection of Person and Property Act, authorities announced that no charges would be filed against the driver. The case was officially closed, with the determination that the shooting was a justifiable homicide under state law.
