The Tragic Night
On June 24, 2025, 16-year-old Trey Dean Wright was lured to a remote stretch of First Neck Road near Johnsonville, South Carolina, expecting to meet his girlfriend, Gianna Helene Kistenmacher, 17. Instead, he was fatally shot multiple times and found by Florence County deputies just before midnight. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the high school sophomore succumbed to his injuries, leaving a community in mourning.
A Romantic Rivalry Turned Deadly
Authorities allege the killing stemmed from a romantic rivalry “over a female.” Devan Raper, 19, is accused of shooting Wright during a planned confrontation, which was reportedly recorded by another teen. Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, disputes the simplicity of a love triangle narrative, telling the Daily Mail that her son was deeply smitten with Kistenmacher, describing their relationship as “a dream come true.” The couple, introduced through Raper earlier in 2025, had only been dating for weeks.
The Alleged Perpetrators
Raper, arrested the day after the shooting, faces charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He remains in custody without bond. Kistenmacher, accused of luring Wright to the desolate location knowing Raper was armed, faces murder and accessory charges. She is under house arrest pending her court date. Seven other teens, Hunter Matthew Kendall, 18; Corrinne Elizabeth Belviso, 18; Sydney Marissa Kearns, 17; and four unnamed minors, were also arrested, complicit in the plan under South Carolina’s “hand of one is the hand of all” law.
A Mother’s Grief and a Friend’s Perspective
Lindsey described her son as “one in a million,” a kind-hearted teen whose happiness was contagious. She struggles to understand how a dispute escalated to murder, lamenting, “Kids used to fight with fists, not guns.” Wright’s best friend, Ethan Kirby, suggested Kistenmacher intended a fight, not a killing, calling it a “childish act that turned real.” He recalled Trey’s toughness, noting how he once pulled a fish hook from his hand without flinching.
Remembering Trey Wright
A sophomore at Johnsonville High School, Trey played varsity football and baseball and worked at Vox Deer Processing. An avid outdoorsman, he loved dirt bikes, fishing, and nature. His obituary highlighted his “infectious smile” and ability to make everyone laugh. Lindsey vowed to seek justice, stating, “My baby never deserved this. I will fight for him with every last breath.” As the case unfolds, a tenth suspect is expected to surrender, and the community continues to mourn a vibrant teen lost to senseless violence.
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