Jamari Jackson, a 12-year-old Tanglewood Middle School student, was allegedly shot dead by a fellow student on campus. The man was taken to a neighboring hospital, but medical examiners ruled him dead. On behalf of Jamari Jackson’s family, community leader Bruce Wilson confirmed his terrible death:
“Today’s catastrophe has wounded us all.” We adore Jamari and would appreciate it if our privacy could be respected while we mourn through this terrible time.”
An investigation into Jamari Jackson’s shooting incident
Tanglewood Middle School student Jamari Jackson was recently shot in the school’s seventh-grade corridor by another unnamed student when they crossed paths. The 12-year-old was rushed to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital, but he died as a result of the gunshot wound. A seventh-grade kid called Michael, who was supposedly buddies with the shooter, observed the shooting and told WSPA about it:
“We were simply strolling down the corridor. He was going quickly and nervously, and there was a large swarm of children around him. “All of a sudden, he reaches inside his rucksack, takes out a revolver, and fires one shot.”
Michael said that he was terrified by the occurrence and began fleeing the location. He also said that the gunman left the area immediately after shooting Jamari Jackson:
“Everyone in our immediate vicinity was shouting and fleeing. And then I glance behind me and see students racing into classrooms, closing the doors and everything. And he had no idea what to do, so he simply fled.”
This is 12-year-old Jamari Jackson, who was tragically killed in a shooting today at Tanglewood Middle School. Please keep Jamari’s friends and family in your prayers tonight. pic.twitter.com/wb6ExYp4cM
— FOX Carolina News (@foxcarolinanews) March 31, 2022
According to reports, the gunfire started in the afternoon, causing the school resource officer to seek “immediate assistance.” Following the event, about 200 deputies and law enforcement officials went to the school. WYFF-TV received a video showing scores of cops outside the school grounds, as well as multiple buses queued up to transport pupils to Brookwood Church. According to Angela, a parent, she was in the parking lot when she spotted police officers approaching the school:
“I was thinking: “What’s the problem? What’s the problem?” He shouted, “Get back in your vehicle,” since they wouldn’t inform him. All of the cops arrived as I was getting into my vehicle. There were cops from all around Greenville County, as well as an ambulance. They were rushing in with rifles, not pistols.”
Meanwhile, her daughter Prentasia observed the incident and told the station about the moment Jackson was shot:
“We heard a gunshot, and this kid had a pistol, and he fired at one of the other boys in the side.” We mostly stayed in the classroom, with a few exceptions venturing outdoors. We were just in the classroom till it was over.”
The unnamed gunman, who is also 12 years old, allegedly fled the scene and was later discovered hiding beneath a desk inside a residence in the 3000 block of Easley Bridge Road. He was quickly apprehended and jailed at Columbia’s Department of Juvenile Justice. The suspect has been charged with murder, having a weapon while committing a violent crime, having a firearm on school premises, and having a weapon while under the age of 18.
According to Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis, the suspect was unaware of the repercussions of his actions:
“He had gone into hiding. He was a young guy, and he probably didn’t realize the implications of what had just occurred. I honestly don’t believe he knew what to do but quit the school.”
He also said that the cause for the shooting and possession of a handgun was still being investigated, but he did confirm that the “victim and suspect were known with one another.”
In an official statement, Greenville County Schools Superintendent Burke Royster expressed similar sentiments:
“I’m not sure what was going through the mind of that young individual who committed this reckless act after a lengthy and comprehensive law enforcement investigation.”
Sheriff Lewis also said that his heart breaks for Jamari Jackson’s family and that he will pray for the suspect’s family.
