Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Randy Gerald was shot and killed when he stopped for what he believed was a traffic accident in a parking lot along US Route 701 at approximately 1830 hours.
He was returning home after his shift at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, still wearing his uniform, in his personal car when he observed a man and woman arguing. As he attempted to find out what was wrong, the male opened fire, fatally wounding him. The shooter then attempted to kill the woman, who was the man's girlfriend, as the two fled in separate cars.
The shooter was apprehended approximately 24 hours later after a massive manhunt. He was convicted of murdering Lieutenant Gerald and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Lieutenant Gerald had been a member of the Horry County Sheriff's Department for 13 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-C95FB556- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Lieutenant Gerald gave the Horry County Sheriff's Office 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Conway community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Gerald.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Randy Gerald is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Horry County Sheriff's Dept., 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Randy Gerald's cause is highlighted.
How Randy Gerald Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Randy Gerald is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Randy Gerald was killed by handgun; .45 caliber.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Horry County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
