Friends mourn loss of jovial teen killed in shooting
Adolphus Simmons, shooting victim.
The Post and Courier
A man was found dying of a gunshot wound on these steps at an apartment complex on Bream Road on Monday night.
That Adolphus Simmons dressed like a woman was of no consequence to his neighbors at the Bradford Apartments in North Charleston. To them, his shooting death Monday night was a senseless loss of a beloved friend.
The effeminate 18-year-old charmed them with his always jovial and sometimes flamboyant personality, they said.
It was about 8 p.m. when Mary Ivory heard a commotion outside the apartment complex on Bream Road and saw flashing blue lights. A few doors down, Simmons lay on the ground with gunshot wounds, and a man neighbors said was his brother held him in his arms, weeping. A woman cried out for someone to call police, she said.
"It was so cold," said his friend Tiffany Wells. "It seemed like it took forever for EMS to come."
Simmons, a former student at Stall High School, was pronounced dead at Medical University Hospital at 9:08 p.m., Chief Deputy Coroner Judy Koelpin said.
Police were working on leads in the case late Tuesday. There was no indication that his slaying was a hate crime, said Spencer Pryor, police public information officer.
Simmons had moved into the complex about a year earlier and quickly made friends with other tenants. Most notable was his feminine manner of dress. He experimented with creative weave hairstyles and colors, and he became pretty good at it, Wells said.
Soon, he was doing everybody's hair and making money at it, she said.
Wells said Simmons made sure that you didn't just get a nice hairdo but a lift for your spirits as well.
"He was a jokester," she said. "He liked to tell jokes and make you laugh."
About a month ago, Simmons quit his job at Captain D's on Rivers Avenue to focus on the hairstyling. His mother, Felicia Moultrie, had her hair done for free.
Moultrie spoke with her oldest son just three hours before he was shot. He was cooking crabs, and invited her over for dinner.
"He was cuttin' a fool, and laughing and joking," Moultrie said.
She was busy shopping and told him she would call him back later. It was a return call she never got around to making, and that causes her painful regret now, she said.
Witnesses told police Simmons had been eating crab before taking out the trash, according to the incident report. They heard gunfire but told police they didn't think much of it since neighbors often shoot guns. When they noticed that Simmons had not returned, they opened the door to find him unconscious on the steps.
"He was so young," Wells said.
Like his neighbors, Simmons' family looked past the clothes and hair he wore and saw only a loving human being, Moultrie said.
"He chose his lifestyle the way he wanted it," she said. "We all accepted him for who he was."
Simmons' death was the fourth homicide this year in North Charleston. Police are searching for suspects in the Jan. 12 deaths of John Burgess, 48, of Hollywood and Sheila Stannard, 48, of West Ashley. They were shot at Pepperhill Park. The city's other slaying was a murder-suicide Jan. 2 in which Ted Davis, 63, shot his wife 58-year-old Theresa Davis, then himself at their Northwood Estates home.
Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com. Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
orpheus (anonymous) says...
man what a huge craphole my hometown has become. sad to see it.
January 23, 2008 at 12:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Maybe a case of mistaken identity? Better check the guy next door.
January 23, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
What respectable newspaper uses the term "effeminate"
a fine line you're walking Post and Courier...
January 23, 2008 at 7:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
Let me just say... I'm sorry - I guess it's just me, I don't think that's a proper term to use, someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I may very well be wrong... I don't know. Sorry I jumped on ya - it just stuck out to me as inappropriate, but what do I know.
Regardless, I agree with Harpo on this one.
January 23, 2008 at 7:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tygers1231 (anonymous) says...
regardless of his sexual orientation, he DID NOT deserve to die. My thoughts and prayers go out to all his friends and family. I hope that they catch the COWARD that took this young man's life and hang him OUT to dry
January 23, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flinsc (anonymous) says...
You guys are so Silly!!! xoxoxo
January 23, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USC_Alumni (anonymous) says...
This is one of the wrost written articles I've ever read. Why did they have to start out identifying his sexuallity and cross dressing habits? This article smacks of sensationalization.
January 23, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SomeTruthPlease (anonymous) says...
It sounds as though they are trying to establish this as a hate crime, which is very, very possibly what it was. It is very strange that the first sentence would make reference to his sexual orientation, but isn't that the mentality that causes these hate crimes in the first place? He was a human being second. He was a crossdresser first.
January 23, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tygers1231 (anonymous) says...
USC-Alumni:
I agree. What we have here is another story by P&C that is questionable. I can't understand why they reported this is NOT a hate crime, but then they want to elaborate on his sexual orientation. Mr. Simmons, is still a HUMAN being and should not have been Murdered in cold blood. Our world is going to H#LL in a hand basket!!
January 23, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
Thank you! I thought it was just me that found this article inappropriately written.
January 23, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
Oh, and if it was of "no consequence to his neighbors" that he cross dressed - why make reference to something of "NO CONSEQUENCE"
AARRGGHHH, so pulling my hair out at the editors that let this one fly...
January 23, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LifetimeLearner (anonymous) says...
I completely agree on that fact that it was wrong to mention his sexuality and "hobbies" in the beginning of the article. I went to journalism school, and these writers really are HORRIBLE!! Seriously! It is like they are writing for a magazine! This poor man is dead and they would rather talk about his sexuality then write fact about his death. Sad...
January 23, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
me too Lifetime - I worked for a small town New England newspaper 15 years ago in my early 20's and wrote better than the writers at this paper.
I really think they need to re-evaluate what they're putting out there. When you reference magazine writing, I have to go one step further and say it's more like tabloids 'writing' to me...
Sad! Post and Courier, you REALLY need to either pull this one or REPLACE it like you did the original story that got all racial.
Try writing an unbiased version for once, one that references the facts.
January 23, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Brant (anonymous) says...
If you've ever looked closely at anything concerning a gay individual who has been bashed, shot, killed, etc...., it's never thought of as a hate crime. Think Matthew Shepherd. My opinion is that we're afraid, as a nation, to admit that we even HAVE such a thing. Ironically, if he hadn't been Gay, it'd be thought of strictly on a racial basis.
As for the term effeminate, I did find it rather impersonal and not the best choice of words.
The LGBT community, whether it's in Charleston or someplace else, gets little respect and this is just another example of that disrespect.
January 23, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
I hope they find the murderer(s) that did this. He seem like someone that loved to live and lived to love. I hope this shooting has nothing to do with his lifestyle because he seems loved by everyone. He was close to his mother and other siblings....this is just sad. I hope his mother gets her day in court.
RIP
January 23, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
prosperous_hb (anonymous) says...
None of the P&C writers must not have a Journalism degree. If they have one, it must have come from Wal-Mart....lol
This is truly sad.
January 23, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hillbilly (anonymous) says...
Another example of why Charleston needs an alternative to that rag sheet called the Post and Courier.
When are you going to start printing on yellow paper?
January 23, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
i'm in agreement with so many of you. it seems as if the P&C were trying to lay the ground work of making this tragedy into a 'hate' crime.
it may have been, homophobia is rampant in the black community, more so now with the influx of the 'gansta' lifestyle. i find it very plausible that someone in or near the community that may have known or known of the victim didn't out of hate or desire to seem 'hard'. hopefully the perp will be caught.
but this 'yellow' journalism of the P&C is just too much. the writing is so poor and sensationlistic. i too wish we had a daily alternative.
January 23, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
captivated (anonymous) says...
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of this young man. Isn't there anything that can be done about all the guns in NC? The witnesses told police people are always shooting guns around there. How about having a traffic check to see how many people are riding around with gats. As far as the P and C is concerned, how can you expect them to write good stories when they can't even stop the auto refresh?
January 23, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
LOL @ Captivated...well atleast they slowed down the auto refresh...instead of every 2 minutes its doing it every 3 now......
January 23, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
candygirl (anonymous) says...
I agree with others,why focus on his sexuallity like that?
The story was done in very poor taste.
January 23, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TiffanyandCo (anonymous) says...
My deepest sympathy to the family.
January 23, 2008 at 3:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
datadiva (anonymous) says...
Are you KIDDING me Harpo... News that is not politically correct is then tabloid like and biased!
What this man wore is IRRELEVANT to the fact that his killer is still out there.
If it's a hate crime, which the P&C is alluding to, then they need to treat it as such without getting into his personal business.
Same idea w/ the gun collector who was killed. Regardless of his hobbies and interests, he was killed.
Those are the facts - the paper needs to REPORT more and JUDGE less.
January 23, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammer (anonymous) says...
my sincere condolences to the family, he sounded like a really nice person... may he rest in peace
January 23, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
outrage (anonymous) says...
Posted by captivated (anonymous) on January 23, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My sincere condolences to the family and friends of this young man. Isn't there anything that can be done about all the guns in NC? The witnesses told police people are always shooting guns around there. How about having a traffic check to see how many people are riding around with gats. As far as the P and C is concerned, how can you expect them to write good stories when they can't even stop the auto refresh?
We can't without probable cause, or permission to search. They make it harder and harder to keep people safe. LEO's are trying.
January 23, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shsgirl2006 (anonymous) says...
Someone dies and all the post and courier can write about is the way he dressed? Something is seriously wrong here.
January 23, 2008 at 7:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestonnative1963 (anonymous) says...
I agree, The post and courier is SICK...a murder takes place and the most important part of the story is that he was a cross -dresser or a transvestite...GOOD LORD! We have not gone very far in this city...I truly wish we had a newspaper to rival the P+C, I would DROP the subscription like a hot rock....
January 23, 2008 at 9:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sherlock (anonymous) says...
I too offer my sympathy to this young man's family and friends.
The P&C was just plain wrong for adressing this man's preference in dress and hairstyle. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that this young man is now deceased.
January 23, 2008 at 10:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.