Terrell Dwight Hicks, an 80-year-old White/Caucasian man from Daniels, West Virginia, died on Monday, February 16, 2026, after being shot while working as a security guard at the entrance to The Resort at Glade Springs in Raleigh County. Hicks, sometimes known as Terry, was born June 14, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Reva Mae Hicks and Luther “Steve” Hicks. He graduated from Duval High School in 1963, later spent 43 years with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 466 in Charleston, and also served in the Army National Guard. His obituary described him as outgoing, compassionate and quick to strike up conversations with strangers. He had spent more than three decades with his wife, Teresa, helped raise his granddaughter Mireya from childhood, and left behind a large family that included daughters, children he raised through marriage, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The events that led to Hicks’ death began at the guard shack where he was responsible for controlling access to the gated Glade Springs community. According to a criminal complaint described in local reporting, surveillance footage showed a red Nissan Titan arriving at approximately 6:53 p.m. The driver presented a West Virginia driver’s license to Hicks but was denied entry because he reportedly could not provide the address of the place he intended to visit inside the community. Authorities identified that driver from the license as Michael Lloyd Taylor of Piney View. Sheriff Frank Priddy later said investigators had found no apparent connection between Taylor and the security guard and no indication that Taylor had ties to anyone inside the gated community. Priddy said investigators believed Taylor may simply have wanted to drive around the area and was refused entry because Glade Springs was private.
The refusal did not end the encounter. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage showed the same Nissan returning at approximately 7:37 p.m. This time, investigators said Taylor had a handgun. The footage reportedly showed him firing into the guard building and striking Hicks in the chest, causing Hicks to fall. Hicks was subsequently found unresponsive with a gunshot injury when law enforcement responded. Deputies also contacted Hicks’ wife, who told investigators that her husband had communicated that he had been shot by a person at the front gate. Hicks was transported to Raleigh General Hospital but died from his injuries. Early reports from the sheriff’s department described deputies responding to the entrance later that evening and finding the security guard suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigators quickly focused on Taylor. The criminal complaint said the surveillance footage provided identifying details about the driver, his vehicle and his clothing, including a green jacket and sunglasses worn on his head. Investigators established that the Nissan Titan was registered to Taylor. Deputies then went to an address associated with him through a previous domestic incident and found a truck matching the vehicle recorded at Glade Springs. Authorities obtained a search warrant for Taylor’s residence. Taylor was located there along with a gun, and investigators reported finding a spent shell casing inside the truck. Based on the surveillance evidence, vehicle identification and evidence recovered during the search, authorities determined that Taylor was the person they alleged had returned to the gate and shot Hicks.
Michael Lloyd Taylor was taken into custody at his Piney View residence following the investigation. The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office charged him with first-degree murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Shortly after the arrest, he was being held at the Southern Regional Jail. Sheriff Priddy emphasized that investigators had not uncovered a prior relationship between Taylor and Hicks, making the episode appear to have grown out of the denied attempt to enter the gated community rather than an existing dispute between the two. The investigation remained active following the arrest.
The available reporting through August 15, 2026, identifies Taylor as the only publicly named suspect and documents his arrest and the two felony charges. No reliable online reporting located for this synopsis describes another suspect being arrested or charged in Hicks’ death, nor does it report that Taylor has been convicted, acquitted, sentenced, or that a trial has concluded. The criminal allegations therefore remain accusations unless and until resolved in court, and Taylor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Hicks’ death left a noticeable impact beyond the circumstances of the shooting. His family remembered someone whose life had been built around work, faith and close relationships. He had spent decades as an electrical worker and was described as someone who routinely took time to listen and talk with others. His obituary recalled his devotion to his family, particularly his wife and the granddaughter he raised, and noted the support the family received from the Glade community and the Shady Spring High School swim team after his death. Visitation was scheduled for February 23 at Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Home in Shady Spring, followed by funeral services on February 24 and burial at Sunset Memorial Park. What began as an apparently routine refusal of entry at a private residential resort ended with Hicks fatally wounded at the post where he was working and Taylor jailed on allegations of first-degree murder.
