Darrell D. Grate Jr., a 19-year-old man from Columbia, South Carolina, was a cherished son, brother, and friend whose life was abruptly cut short. Known to his loved ones for his vibrant spirit and loyalty, Darrell was navigating the path from youth to adulthood in his hometown. His sudden death left his family and community enveloped in grief, struggling to comprehend the violent loss of a young man with his future ahead of him.
The evening of Thursday, October 15, 2026, turned tragic
in The Summit, a densely populated residential neighborhood in northeast Columbia. Around 8 p.m., deputies from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the 200 block of Sterling Cross Drive following reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they discovered a harrowing scene. Darrell Grate Jr. was found unresponsive in the front yard of a home, suffering from gunshot wounds. Inside the residence, deputies located a second victim who had also been shot, sustaining wounds to their upper body.
Emergency medical services transported both victims to a local hospital for treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Darrell was pronounced dead. The second victim received care for their injuries. Investigators from the sheriff's department quickly began to piece together the events that led to the shooting. They determined that the victims and the suspect had arranged to meet at the Sterling Cross Drive location before the violence erupted. The shooting marked the second deadly incident in The Summit neighborhood that year.
At the scene of the crime, deputies detained a suspect, 19-year-old Ki’won Stevenson. He was taken to the sheriff's department headquarters for questioning by investigators. Following the interview, Stevenson was arrested and charged with murder for the death of Darrell Grate Jr., as well as attempted murder for the shooting of the second victim. An additional charge of possession of a weapon during a violent crime was also filed against him.
After his arrest, Ki’won Stevenson was transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center to await a bond hearing. The Richland County Coroner's Office, led by Coroner Naida Rutherford, formally identified Darrell D. Grate Jr. as the deceased. "We will continue working with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to fully investigate this homicide,” Coroner Rutherford stated, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the case.
The investigation into Darrell’s death continued under the direction of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities worked to understand the motive and the precise circumstances of the pre-arranged meeting that ended in gunfire. The community was left to mourn another young life lost to violence, as friends and family remembered the person Darrell was and the potential he would never get to fulfill.
As of October 2026, the case against Ki’won Stevenson was proceeding through the legal system. The Richland County Sheriff's Department continued its investigation into the shooting. Officials have encouraged anyone with information about the incident to come forward to assist in bringing a full measure of justice for Darrell Grate Jr. and his family.
