The State House's southern steps saw a swarm of people gather to honor victims of domestic violence.
For the last 28 years, South Carolina has held its Silent Witness Ceremony on the first Tuesday in October. It coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness month, which takes place throughout the entire month.
State Attorney General Alan Wilson read out the names of 37 women and 11 men who had died in 2024 as a result of domestic violence.
Each name was accompanied by the ring of a bell and a silhouette cutout. A lone purple silhouette was brought out to represent victims of domestic violence who are unreported or unconfirmed.
In 2023, the national Violence Policy Center suspended its typical annual state ranking; the FBI had changed its reporting system, so the group pivoted.
The Palmetto State ranked in the top 10 states for the rate of women killed by men in 23 of the 25 years the data had been kept, according to the center's 2023 study. 2018 and 2020 were the exceptions.
"Each silhouette represented today is more than a statistic or a piece of wood," Wilson said. "It is a life that ended too soon and a reminder of the loss experienced by families and our communities."
Monica Hatton last saw her daughter, 29-year-old Jaylan Hasty, in 2023. She was a victim of domestic violence. Hatton committed herself to advocacy in the 775 days since her daughter died.
![Jamie Banks (left) and Monica Hatton (right) stand by a sign commemorating Jaylan Hasty. "Someone said to me 'you may want to stop counting the days [since Hasty died],'" Hatton said. "That is my way of keeping the story real."](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/32ced44/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5712x4284+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2F81%2F092e556f4acb9cad7c73e7bbdbdd%2Fimg-3023.JPG)
It means the midlands mother makes the effort to share the memory of her self-proclaimed "firecracker" daughter.
"A person isn't actually dead until you stop talking about them," she said. "I want my granddaughter to know her mom's spirit."
Another mother in attendance was 55-year-old Audrey Ford. Holding back tears, she spoke about the perpetual love she holds for her son — another person killed as a result of domestic violence. The investigation is still ongoing.
She said her son, Sumter County's 34-year-old Antoin Pugh, loved his family, motorcycles and trucks. Ford wanted her son's story to remind the public that men can also be victims of domestic violence.
"It happens to men, too. It happened to my son," she said.
Hatton and Pugh were joined by friends, family, community members, religious leaders and advocates in Columbia. They hope for a safer future.
Last year, the names of 24 women and six men were called at the ceremony. South Carolina established its Domestic Violence Task Force in 2015. The state provides a catalog of community organizations and resources for victims
