On the night of Friday, December 12, 2025, a violent confrontation unfolded in Northeast Columbia, South Carolina, claiming the life of 17-year-old Michael De'Anthony Mickle Jr. A senior at Lower Richland High School who was affectionately known as "MJ" by his friends and family, Michael had been preparing to graduate with the Class of 2026 and planned to enlist in the United States Military.
The fatal incident occurred in the 7500 block of Hunt Club Road, where two groups of teenagers, later described by authorities as "Team A" and "Team B," met for what investigators determined was a planned robbery.
The situation quickly escalated into a chaotic gunfight as members from both groups were armed with weapons, including a small assault-style rifle and a pistol. During the exchange of gunfire, Michael was struck and killed, becoming one of two fatalities resulting from the shootout. The second victim, another teenager involved in the altercation, was not immediately identified by the Richland County Coroner's Office. The violence of the night cut short Michael's life just months before his anticipated high school graduation, leaving his parents, Jasmine Moore and Michael Mickle, along with his sister and extended family, to mourn his untimely death.
In the days following the shooting, the Richland County Sheriff's Department launched a homicide investigation that led to the swift apprehension of several suspects. On Wednesday, December 17, Sheriff Leon Lott announced that three young men had been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the deaths. The suspects were identified as 17-year-old Cory James, 17-year-old Jeremiah Selph, and 18-year-old Prince-Jay'lan Hutcherson. Sheriff Lott expressed frustration over the senseless loss of life, noting that the incident brought the county's total number of murders for the year to twenty-five, all of which had been solved.
