GAFFNEY, S.C. — A South Carolina high school student was fatally shot as he boarded a school bus on Wednesday, moments after he had a brief altercation, authorities said.
The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr., 17, of Gaffney, WSOC reported.
Fair, a student at Gaffney High School, had walked from his residence at the Granard Courts apartment complex across the street at about 6:49 a.m. ET, coroner Dennis Fowler said, according to WYFF.
He was about to board the bus when he was approached by another male, the television station reported.
After a short altercation, officials said Fair was shot, WSOC reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
17-year-old shot, killed while boarding school bus in Gaffney https://t.co/5Rs0nPMoYV
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“I ran to the door and looked out and all I saw was a whole lot of ambulance, fire trucks, and police officers,” Gayle Robbs, who also lives at Granard Courts, told WPSA. “Then I saw the boy on the ground. The sheet was just bloody. Just red and bloody. I had to turn my head and walk back. I started to cry and said, ‘Lord that don’t make no sense.’”
Surveillance video from the bus showed the suspected shooter getting into a waiting vehicle driven by another person, according to the television station.
Fowler said 15 students were on the bus at the time of the shooting, WSOC reported. The bus stop is a four-minute drive from Gaffney High School, according to WYFF.
“This is an absolute tragedy. It’s a sad world when our children cannot be safe while going to school,” Fowler told the television station. “My heart is heavy for this student’s family and those 15 students who were on board the bus and witnessed this heinous crime.”
It was unclear what led to the altercation.
Fair’s grandmother told WPSA that he was set to graduate from high school in December after finishing early. She added that he was going to become a father in October.
In a statement, the Cherokee County School District confirmed it was aware of a shooting, WPSA reported.
“Law enforcement is actively handling the situation, and there is no current danger to our schools or students based on the information available to us at this time. Schools will continue to operate with appropriate safety measures in place,” the district said. “We understand that incidents like this can be frightening for students, families, and staff. The district is working closely with law enforcement and will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
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