Dalton Weise, a ninth-grade student at Berkeley High School, passed away Wednesday night at his home in Moncks Corner.
His family requested memorial donations be made to the Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention group, or similar organizations.
Dalton was a skilled in various fields, such as bull riding, MMA, and wrestling.
His father, JD Weise, a detective with the Moncks Corner Police Department, honored Dalton in several Facebook posts. In one, JD mentioned that Dalton “had more determination and hard work in him than most adults.”
“You made me try harder at everything I did,” JD wrote on Monday. “I’m so thankful I told you often that YOU WERE AND WILL ALWAYS BE MY HERO!”
Though JD didn’t reveal the cause of his son’s death, he shared a Facebook post from nurse practitioner Heather Leindecker, reminding people that September is Suicide Prevention Month.
In an earlier post, JD noted that Dalton would be laid to rest on Tuesday in his rodeo gear.
Dalton’s mother, Amanda Weise, posted a video of her son joyfully interrupting a peer’s video recording.
“Yo, can I get a shout out! Hey! I want to thank my mama,” Dalton said in the clip. “Okay, that’s it.”
Amanda expressed her hope that everyone would remember Dalton as a happy person.
The teen was an honors student and a member of Freedom Church, where his funeral will be held tomorrow.
Dalton’s passion was rodeo, and he belonged to several bull riding organizations, including the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association. He was a two-time Bareback Riding Champion and a reserve Bull Riding Champion, as noted in his obituary.
The South Carolina High School Rodeo Association responded to Dalton’s sudden passing, saying, “our hearts are broken.”
“Please keep our rodeo family, especially the Weise family, in your prayers during this time,” the association added.
Dalton started his rodeo journey at Shady Acres Rodeo and later became the ninth-ranked youth bull rider in the world.
He was also a successful wrestler, winning the Lower State Championship in eighth grade.
Justin Brown, a board member of the Gamma Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts, shared that Dalton trained with Black Force MMA.
“With a heavy heart, we extend our deepest condolences to Dalton Weise’s family and friends,” Brown wrote. “Heaven has gained a young warrior, and he will be dearly missed.”
Dalton enjoyed hunting with his friends and lifting weights at the gym with his father.
