South Carolina middle school student was killed by another student after they passed each other in the hallway, when the gunman opened fire on the other. He was later arrested. Jamari Jackson, 12, was shot by another student on Thursday after and was rushed to hospital where he died in the evening.
The shooter was arrested from outside the school. However, it is not yet clear if he had a motive. According to police the suspect is also a 12-year-old. An investigation has been launched into the incident and police is yet to share further details about the murder of Jackson.
Innocent Life Lost
Jackson, a student of Tanglewood Middle School, died at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial around 5 pm after being fatally shot in the seventh-grade corridor by an unidentified 12-year-old gunman. The gunman, according to police, is also a student of the same school.
The suspect was arrested form outside the school around 1:45 pm, according to police. Police said that he is the sole suspect and they aren't looking for any additional person in the case.
"We are all devastated by today's tragedy," read a statement by the Jackson family. We love Jamari dearly and we would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time."
According to police, the suspect shot Jackson before fleeing the scene. He was found hiding beneath a home's deck. In addition, a firearm was discovered.
The suspect's name has not been revealed due to his age. He faces charges of murder, unauthorized possession of a weapon by a person under the age of 18, possession of a firearm on school premises, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
"While the motive for the shooting and how the suspect was able to get possession of a firearm is still under investigation, we can confirm that the victim and suspect were familiar with each other and we are confident the incident was isolated," read the statement from the sheriff's office.
Investigation On
Police said that the shooting is yet another proof of rise ion gun violence in the United States. An investigation has been launched and police are trying to ascertain if there was a motive behind the murder.
"This has been a very trying situation for sure," Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at the scene.
"Our hearts go out to all the families involved." The sheriff's office said over 200 deputies rushed to the scene.
Jackson was simply walking in the hallway when he was shot at point blang range. "We were just walking down the hallway," a seventh-grade student named Michael, told WSPA. "He was walking really fast and he looked really nervous, and there was just a whole crowd of kids. All of sudden, he just reaches into his backpack and just pulls out gun [and] fired one shot. I didn't think twice, I just ran."
Michael said that he was so scared that he ran to take cover and didn't notice that Jackson had by that time collapsed. "I just thought: 'Oh my god, he's going to shoot the school.'"
Police said that although unsure about the motive, the two students knew each other.
Kelvin, another student, said he was in the cafeteria when the cops arrived and was "scared" it was the shooter. "I didn't know what to do and then the police came in. I thought it was one of the shooters," he told Fox Carolina.
WYFF-helicopter TV's footage showed dozens of officers milling around outside the school, with more than two dozen buses parked nearby. Some pupils were seen slowly boarding the buses that would transport them to Brookwood Church, where they could see their parents.
