On a late September evening, the community of Woodruff, South Carolina, was irrevocably altered by a violent confrontation that left three men dead. Jeremy Lee Faulkner, a 34-year-old man from Woodruff, was among those who lost their lives on September 27, 2024, in a gunfight that erupted from a dispute over hunting territory. The incident, which also claimed the lives of 38-year-old Paul Higgins of Woodruff and 22-year-old Nicolas Long of Greenville, unfolded near a residence on Griffin Road.
A fourth individual was also shot but sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The tragic events of that Friday evening began to unfold around 8 p.m. Relatives of Jeremy Faulkner stated that he died while defending his friends. The altercation reportedly stemmed from a disagreement over who had permission to be on a specific piece of hunting land. Witnesses to the deadly exchange included family members of the deceased. When deputies from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered the three deceased men. The fourth victim had already been transported to a hospital in a private vehicle.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the deaths of Faulkner, Higgins, and Long. After a thorough review of the incident, authorities announced that no charges would be filed in connection with the killings. The case was officially closed, a decision that left the community grappling with the unresolved tragedy. While the investigation has concluded, the profound loss of three lives continues to resonate with the families and friends of the men who died that day.
