Spartanburg tattoo shop honors artist killed in shooting
By James Wagher
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WYFF) — The tattoo designs may be permanent, but so is the impact Troy Conner left on the people around him.
On Saturday and Sunday, friends, family and members of the community gathered at Ill Ink Tattoo Shop in Spartanburg to honor Conner, a 44-year-old tattoo artist who died after being shot following a domestic violence dispute on Sept. 10.
Conner was taken to the hospital after the shooting, where he later died, according to officials.
At Ill Ink, those who knew Conner gathered to remember him by doing what he loved most: tattooing.
“He was just someone that just came straight to you. And if you needed help, he’d be there to help you instantly,” said Joshua Greene, manager of Ill Ink Tattoo Shop. “Didn’t expect anything out of return from you. It was just straightforward. It was just a genuine person.”
The gathering featured a variety of Conner’s designs as people came together to keep his artistic legacy alive.
For those at Ill Ink, the weekend was about more than tattoos. It was about remembering a friend, co-worker and artist who had touched countless lives.
Greene said Conner understood the hard work it took to build a life and a career.
“You have to claw your way out of it and just to get to the top. And that’s where we were together,” Greene said. “And that’s such a blessing, looking around, seeing all these people that he has touched.”
People of all ages came to pay their respects and reflect on Conner’s legacy.
Greene also pointed to a tattoo Conner had given him — an angel with the words “be still.”
“He was an angel. There was angels, you know, watching over us all that night.”
For the people who knew Troy Conner, the love and memories he leaves behind are permanent — just like the ink.
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