Authorities and loved ones are desperately searching for 19-year-old Owen Tillman Kenney, a College of Charleston student who mysteriously vanished on Halloween just minutes from his South Carolina home.

Kenney, originally from Tinton Falls, New Jersey, was last seen by friends around 2 a.m. near King Street and Burns Lane in downtown Charleston. Just an hour later, police say surveillance footage captured him walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway. His phone’s last signal also pinged from the bridge shortly after 3 a.m.

“He was minutes from his house but never made it home,” his family shared in a Facebook post, urging the public to pray and share his photo. “We want Owen to come home,” his mother wrote.

Police initially said Kenney had been wearing a Boston Celtics jersey as part of his Halloween costume. However, newly released images from the bridge show him dressed in a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles. He also has several tattoos, including on his right forearm and left shoulder.

The Charleston Police Department has launched a large-scale search effort, working alongside the FBI and New Jersey State Police. “We would like to thank the countless people who have been looking for Owen and sharing his photos on social media,” police said in a statement. “While we recognize the tremendous public interest and concern surrounding this case, it is important to remember that at the heart of this investigation is a family searching for their loved one.”

Authorities have deployed a range of specialized teams—including an Underwater Recovery Team, Harbor Patrol, K9 units, and drones—to scour the area near the bridge. Despite the extensive effort, there has been no sign of the missing student.

Kenney transferred to the College of Charleston in January and was known by friends as kind and outgoing. “It’s honestly really eerie on campus right now,” student Holland Cartmill told WCBD. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s definitely scary. And I just really pray that this doesn’t happen again.”

Even those who didn’t know Owen personally have been moved to act. One Charleston resident, identified as Julie, told reporters she was “totally shocked” by the news and saw strangers putting up missing posters in her neighborhood. “They didn’t even know the student,” she said. “They had just heard and were concerned. So I think everybody in the community is really concerned that this is such an unusual thing to happen.”

As the search continues, the College of Charleston has asked for prayer and patience, assuring students there’s “no reason to believe that there is any danger to the campus community in relation to this case.”

For Kenney’s family, each day without answers feels unbearable—but they continue to cling to hope. His high school, Red Bank Catholic, shared a heartfelt message on Facebook asking the community to “please share and pray for his safe return.”

Now, people across the country are joining that call.

Lord, You see what is hidden and know where every lost one is. We lift up Owen to You—bring light to his path, comfort to his family, and strength to those searching for him. Surround his loved ones with Your peace and guide investigators with wisdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.