Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr. Obituary, GAFFNEY, S.C. — Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr., 17, a Gaffney High School student, was fatally shot Wednesday morning while preparing to board a school bus in Gaffney, South Carolina. His death has prompted a major law enforcement probe and an increased police presence around local schools.
The shooting happened at approximately 6:49 a.m. in the 500 block of West Rutledge Avenue near a school bus stop. According to the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office, Fair had walked from his apartment across the street to the bus stop and was preparing to board the bus when a male suspect approached him.
Investigators reported a brief altercation occurred between Fair and the suspect before the teenager was shot. Fair suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement have not released additional details about what led to the altercation or identified a motive for the shooting.
Surveillance footage from the school bus captured the suspected shooter leaving the area at once after the shooting, per to the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office. Investigators said the suspect fled to a nearby waiting vehicle that was reportedly being driven by another person. Law enforcement are reviewing the footage and other evidence as they work to identify those involved.
Approximately 15 students were reportedly aboard the school bus when the shooting transpired, and representatives said the students witnessed the incident. The shooting came only days after students in Cherokee County returned to school, adding to concerns among students, parents, school employees and individuals of the Gaffney community.
Following the shooting, Gaffney Police Chief Gerald Knight confirmed that additional officers would be assigned to the area where the situation occurred and to schools throughout the public for the remainder of the week. The increased police presence is intended to give additional security while investigators continue working to establish the circumstances surrounding Fair’s passing.
The Gaffney Police Department and Cherokee County School District are coordinating their response to the event. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Special Victims Unit – Department of Child Fatalities has also been called in to assist with the inquiry. The specialized unit assists with cases involving unexpected, suspicious, unexplained or violent deaths of children under 18.
The inquiry remains active as authorities gather evidence, interview witnesses and examine surveillance footage. Officials have asked the public to avoid the area and use alternate routes while law enforcement activity continues. As the inquiry proceeds, Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr.’s loss leaves his school public and those who knew him mourning the loss of a 17-year-old student whose life was cut short. Further information is expected to be released by law enforcement as it becomes available.
Originally published at Trending Obituary News.
