On an evening walk along the Sawmill Branch Walking Trail in Summerville, South Carolina, 54-year-old Lori Hope Wind, a White female, was fatally shot on October 29, 2024. She was with her husband and their dog at the time of the incident. Her husband also sustained multiple gunshot wounds that resulted in life-threatening injuries but ultimately survived.
The following morning, 20-year-old Kristofer Kelle McDonald turned himself in to law enforcement, confessing to the shooting.
McDonald, who was illegally hunting deer in the area, told authorities he fired his 20-gauge shotgun after hearing movement in the leaves, mistaking the couple for a deer. He fired three to four rounds from his weapon.
McDonald was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also brought charges against him, including criminal negligent use of a firearm resulting in death, criminal negligent use of a firearm resulting in great bodily harm, and night hunting. A judge set his bond at $400,000.
Lori Wind's husband has publicly disputed the characterization of the shooting as a hunting accident, emphasizing that the suspect was hunting illegally after dark and failed to properly identify his target. In the wake of the tragedy, the Summerville community has been considering measures to improve safety along the Sawmill Branch Trail, including the potential installation of lights and cameras.
