A small Kentucky town is in mourning after 16-year-old Aden McKinney, a junior at Dawson Springs High School, was fatally injured in a tragic hunting accident on Saturday, January 3.
Superintendent Lenny Whalen confirmed the heartbreaking news in a public Facebook post, calling it “an overwhelming loss” for the school community.
“Dear Dawson Springs Schools Family, it is with overwhelming sadness that our district shares the loss of one of the members of our junior class: Aden McKinney,” Whalen wrote. “Aden passed early this morning following injuries sustained in a hunting accident.”
The post continued:
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Aden’s family, friends, classmates, and all who are grieving. Counselors and support staff will be available for students and faculty on Monday and as needed as we navigate this difficult loss together.”
Though details of the accident have not been released publicly, school officials, classmates, and family members have rallied in support of the McKinney family as they deal with unimaginable grief.
Whalen ended the statement with a tribute that’s resonating across social media:
“We’ll continue to treasure our memories of Aden — forever a Panther.”
Aden wasn’t your average teenager. According to friends and family, he was a country boy at heart — someone who preferred muddy boots over video games and weekends in the woods over hours on his phone.
“Aden was a loving, caring, sweet, and compassionate child who touched the hearts of everyone who knew him,” said Sabrina Ross, a close family friend who launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses.
“He had a deep love for the outdoors and enjoyed trucks, horses, ATVs, hunting, and anything that let him be outside doing what he loved most.”
That love for the wild will now be etched in stone — literally. The family is raising money to buy a Chevy-shaped headstone in Aden’s honor, a symbol of his rugged spirit and favorite truck brand.
“This GoFundMe has been created to help his family lay him to rest with a Chevy headstone that truly reflects who Aden was and the things he loved,” Ross explained.
As of Thursday, more than $4,000 has been raised toward the $6,000 goal.
The town of Dawson Springs, still rebuilding after a devastating tornado in 2021, is once again pulling together in the face of loss.
Aden’s classmates have begun posting tributes on social media, sharing stories of a young man who was always smiling, always kind.
One junior wrote on Facebook, “I can still hear his laugh echoing in the hallway. It doesn’t feel real.”
The Dawson Springs Police Department has not yet released a public statement or further details about the incident.
Aden was a wonderful young fellow any of us would be proud to have as our Own Son .
Rest In paradise ✝️