In the quiet early morning hours in Manning, South Carolina, a hunting trip turned into a tragedy, resulting in the death of 23-year-old Skylar Anthony Julian McKenzie. On December 18, 2024, McKenzie had unexpectedly joined two others on a duck hunting excursion on private property near Jul Net Road. The hunters were not anticipating his arrival.
A male relative who was part of the hunting party reportedly mistook McKenzie for a deer and discharged his shotgun.
The shot fatally wounded McKenzie. The Clarendon County Coroner's Office confirmed the death was due to a gunshot wound sustained during the hunting incident.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. As of late December 2024, no charges had been filed in connection with McKenzie's death, and the investigation was ongoing. The specific relationship between McKenzie and the shooter has not been publicly disclosed, other than that they were related. In the wake of the incident, the SCDNR emphasized the critical importance of hunter safety, including the necessity of positively identifying a target before firing.
