Concert for student shot in Five Points

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Dozens of USC students gathered Thursday night to remember 18-year-old Martha Childress during the “Not So Thirsty Thursday” concert.  Childress was hit by a stray bullet while waiting for a cab in Five Points on October 13.

The concert was held at the USC Strom Thurmond intramural field and organized by the campus fraternity and sorority community in an effort to increase communication between students and city officials. 

President of the USC Sorority Council Riley Shipman says, “I’m just so proud of this entire community for coming together so quickly to plan this event. It was planned in just a week, and I think it’s amazing it came together to show for one of its own.”

Rachel Patton, President of Zeta Tau Alpha, adds, “I think that we’ve definitely made a point to the community that students’ safety is a concern of ours, and I’ve been happy with the way the community has reacted in recognizing that it’s an issue, and I’m really looking forward to seeing positive change that happen in the future.”

The students who organized the concert say they hope it helps boost communication between them and city officials about safety upgrades in Five Points.