In the small town of Reardan, Washington, a snowy day off from school turned tragic for 15-year-old Shadrach Hall-Turner. On the afternoon of February 22, 2023, Shadrach, a student at Reardan High School, was at a friend's house with three other teenage boys. The group was in the basement, playing video games and smoking marijuana, when one of the teens, 16-year-old Koedi White, introduced a handgun he had taken from under his grandmother's bed.
The mood shifted from camaraderie to
recklessness as the boys began to handle the weapon. Accounts from the scene describe White and Hall-Turner pointing the gun at each other and even tossing the loaded firearm back and forth. In a fateful moment, the gun discharged while in White's possession, and a single bullet struck Shadrach in the neck. The other boys, in a state of panic, initially fabricated a story about a drive-by shooting when one of them called 911. However, this account was quickly retracted.
First responders arrived at the home on West Summit Avenue within minutes of the call. They found that the boys had moved Shadrach outside, where they attempted to render aid, but his injury was too severe. Shadrach Hall-Turner was pronounced dead at the scene. In the immediate aftermath, Koedi White was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. Though initially charged as an adult, the case was later moved to juvenile court.
In the months that followed, the legal process unfolded, culminating in a courtroom filled with the palpable grief of Shadrach's family and friends, many of whom wore shirts bearing his image and the words, "It's hard to forget Shadrach who gave us so much to remember." Koedi White, then 17, pleaded guilty to the charges. In May 2023, a judge sentenced him to two and a half years in juvenile detention. During the sentencing, family members spoke of the immense loss of a bright and athletic young man who had dreams of playing in the NFL. They described the choices made that day as reckless and negligent, with Shadrach paying the ultimate price.
