Owen Kenney, Charleston College Student, Confirmed Dead After Police Recover Video Showing Him Taking His Own Life on Ravenel Bridge

Authorities in Charleston, South Carolina, have confirmed that Owen Tillman Kenney, a 19-year-old College of Charleston student who went missing on Halloween morning, has died. According to a press release from the Charleston Police Department issued Thursday, video evidence shows Kenney taking his own life after walking onto the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge pedestrian walkway at about 3:49 a.m. on October 31.

Police said they have shifted from search operations to recovery efforts and remain in close contact with the Kenney family as they continue the difficult process of locating his body. “Our priority has always been and will remain Owen’s family. This is a real case involving a real family living through unimaginable pain, and they deserve compassion, privacy, and support from all of us,” said Police Chief Chito Walker in the department’s statement.

The confirmation follows several days of intensive searching after Kenney was reported missing on November 1. Surveillance footage showed the student walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian path shortly after 3 a.m. Initially, he was thought to have been wearing a Boston Celtics jersey as part of a Halloween costume, but newly reviewed footage revealed he was dressed in a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles, according to People.

19-year-old Owen Kenney took his own life on Halloween.

Investigators said Kenney’s cellphone last pinged near the bridge around 3 a.m. His roommates told police that when they tried to reach him later that morning, his phone was dead, WCBD reported. Friends had last seen him in the area of King Street and Burns Lane around 2 a.m. before he disappeared.

During the search, Charleston police deployed multiple resources including K9 units, the underwater recovery team, harbor patrol, and drone support. Despite those efforts, no trace of Kenney was found until the recently recovered video evidence confirmed what had happened.

Kenney graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2024, and transferred to the College of Charleston in January 2025, where he was midway through his second semester as a freshman. According to The Monmouth Journal and The Post and Courier, he was known as a bright and kind young man who made a strong impression on his peers and teachers.

19-year-old Owen Kenney took his own life on Halloween.

Authorities have not shared what might have led Kenney to take his own life, and family members have asked for privacy as they grieve. The tragedy has left the College of Charleston community in mourning, with counseling and support services being offered to students and staff.

Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm is urged to seek help. In the United States, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988, or by visiting 988lifeline.org for confidential support.