In the early morning hours of April 8, 2023, the life of 34-year-old Hadden Andre Smith was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident unfolded around 8:20 a.m. in the parking lot of a Publix grocery store located on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in the West Ashley area. A Charleston Police officer who was nearby completing paperwork heard the sound of gunshots and immediately began to investigate the source.
At the same time, a concerned citizen placed a 911 call to report the gunfire.
Upon searching the area, patrol officers discovered Smith lying injured on the pavement near the grocery store. He appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound. The officers rendered aid to Smith until Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced deceased by EMS personnel. Smith, known to his loved ones as 'Dre,' was a resident of Moncks Corner and a father.
The investigation into the shooting was swift, and Charleston Police detectives quickly identified a suspect. Three days later, on April 11, 22-year-old Ticara Ya'nae Bolden of Summerville was taken into custody by Charleston Police officers and Dorchester County Sheriff's Deputies. Bolden was subsequently charged with one count of Murder, Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime. Following her arrest, she was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center to await a bond hearing.
