Lexington Police Hunt for Kidnapped SC Teen at Gunpoint

LEXINGTON, S.C. (Day.News) — Lexington Police Department launched a desperate search Monday for 17-year-old Corvin Gardner, abducted at gunpoint from his Hendrix Street home around 10 p.m. Sunday. The incident unfolded near the busy junction of U.S. 378 and West Main Street, close to Gibson Road in this Lexington County town of about 24,000 residents. Two unknown males, both armed with handguns, forced the 118-pound teen with black hair and brown eyes from the residence, police said in a news release. Witnesses spotted Gardner and the suspects walking west toward Barr Road before they entered a vehicle and fled the area. Gardner bears a large tattoo on his right forearm, a key identifier released to aid the public. No motive for the kidnapping has been disclosed, and investigators have not named potential suspects. The case highlights rising concerns over gun violence in Lexington County, where violent crimes have ticked upward in recent years amid population growth from nearby Columbia. "This is a young man from our community in grave danger," Lexington Police Capt. Kris Heath said in the release. Anyone with information is asked to call Lexington police at 803-358-1557 or email [email protected]. Tips can also go to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or online. In emergencies, dial 911.