In the early morning hours of May 18, 2025, the life of 17-year-old Andrey Gadson Jr. was tragically cut short in Allendale, South Carolina. A Black/African American male and a senior at Allendale-Fairfax High School, he was just days away from his graduation. Gadson was discovered on Butler Street in the Kennedy Park area around 1 a.m. with gunshot wounds.
Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries.
The news of the young man's death sent ripples of grief and shock through the community. School officials at Allendale-Fairfax High School, where Gadson was a respected member of the senior class, arranged for grief counseling to support students and staff grappling with the sudden loss. His parents were to receive his high school diploma posthumously, a bittersweet acknowledgment of a future that was stolen.
The Allendale Police Department initially responded to the scene, and the investigation was soon taken over by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. SLED’s Special Victims Unit is actively investigating the homicide and has appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible. A cash reward has been offered for tips that result in an arrest. As of the latest reports, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing as a community mourns the loss of a young life full of promise.
