Serving Barnwell County and its neighbors since 1852
In the early morning hours of June 21, 2025, officers with the Blackville Police Department responded to the area of Davis Street and Oak Avenue, within the town limits of Blackville, S.C., following reports of shots fired.
Upon arrival, officers began canvassing the area in an effort to determine where the shots originated. During this canvass, officers were notified of an individual lying unresponsive in the backyard of a residence on Oak Avenue.
When officers arrived at that location, they discovered a Black male on the ground, bleeding and unresponsive. The first responding officer believed the individual had suffered a gunshot wound. First responders provided emergency medical assistance, but tragically, the victim succumbed to his injuries.
The victim has been identified as 18-year-old Rakel Howard of Blackville.
The Blackville Police Department is actively investigating Rakel’s death as a homicide and is asking for the public’s assistance. We need your help to bring those responsible to justice and to provide closure for the family and loved ones of Rakel Howard.
The Blackville Police Department is offering a cash reward for information that leads to the identification, location, arrest, and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for this senseless act that claimed the life of a young man and left his family and friends heartbroken.
If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Blackville Police Department at (803) 284-2444 or email Chief Freddie Washington at fwpolicechief@townofblackville.com.
