In the quiet hours of a Thursday night in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the life of 18-year-old Terrell Thomas was tragically cut short. On February 12, 2026, a burst of gunfire inside the Hugine Suites residential complex on the campus of South Carolina State University claimed the lives of Thomas and 19-year-old Henry L. Crittington. A third individual was also wounded in the violent encounter.
Though the shooting took place at the university, neither Thomas nor Crittington were enrolled as students. Thomas was rushed to MUSC Health Orangeburg but succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to a drug deal gone wrong. According to law enforcement, the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a marijuana transaction. The incident prompted a campus lockdown as authorities worked to secure the scene and piece together the events that led to the bloodshed. The university community was left shaken by the violence that had unfolded in what should have been a safe environment.
Within days, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division announced a significant development in the case with the arrest of 18-year-old Khamanti Lytrel Kennedy. Kennedy was taken into custody and charged with murder in connection with the deaths of Thomas and Crittington. Investigators revealed that Kennedy, who was not a student at the university, had arrived on campus with three other individuals on the night of the shooting. It was also discovered that Kennedy was already out on bond for a previous gun-related charge on the same campus. Following his arrest, Kennedy was arraigned and denied bond.
The loss of Terrell Thomas was a devastating blow to his family. His mother described him as the "baby and only boy" among his six children. A graduate of the class of 2025, he was remembered as a dedicated football player since the age of six. He leaves behind his mother, three sisters, and his own one-year-old twins. Funeral services for Terrell were held at the Good Hope AME Church in Cope, South Carolina, where family and friends gathered to mourn the young life that had been so senselessly extinguished.
