BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – More than a decade after a young St. Stephen man lost his life to gun violence, his family keeps his memory alive by advocating for safer communities throughout Berkeley County.
On Saturday, the Bradley Blake Foundation will host its annual Tri-County Orange Walk, in partnership with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the town of Moncks Corner, and the Goose Creek Police Department in honor of Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Participants are encouraged to wear orange. To register for the free event, click here.
“Bring your friends and family and help us raise awareness to gun violence and help strengthen our communities with the much-needed resources,” the foundation posted to Facebook. “There will be free food, entertainment, and exciting activities for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there!”
The Tri-County Orange Walk will span approximately three miles through the heart of Moncks Corner, starting and finishing at the Moncks Corner Recreation Complex, which is at 418 E. Main St. in Moncks Corner. Line-up begins at 7 a.m.
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The foundation is named after 21-year-old Bradley Blake, who was fatally shot in the head in 2012. Family and friends have described Blake as “full of life” and someone who loved deeply. Had he lived, he wanted to pursue a career designing video games.
“He’s truly missed,” his mother, Sylvia Blake, told The Berkeley Observer in 2014. “It’s hard for me even to imagine making it through the next day without him. Every night it’s just really, really terrible when I’m in bed crying because I realize he’s not coming home.”
The brother of Blake’s then-girlfriend, Deandre Cleveland, and Devonte Gaillard were ultimately charged in connection with his death.
According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Gaillard is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter.
In 2014, Cleveland pled guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Court records show his sentence was ultimately reduced to eight years and required that he serve five years of probation following his release. An inmate search shows him no longer listed on SCDC’s website.
To learn more about the Bradley Blake Foundation, visit www.bradleyblakefoundation.org.
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