Student killed in shooting at school bus stop in South Carolina, coroner says

There was a deadly shooting at a school bus stop Wednesday morning, according to South Carolina officials.

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Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr., a 17-year-old Gaffney High School student, was shot and killed while boarding a school bus Wednesday morning, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.

The shooting happened at a bus stop in the 500 block of West Rutledge Avenue, according to the Gaffney Police Department.

Cherokee County government officials said it mourned “the tragic loss of a young life,” in a news release.

“My heart is broken over the tragic news of the shooting this morning,” Gaffney Mayor Dr. Lyman Dawkins III said in a Facebook post. “Our community is hurting, and this violence has to stop.”

At about 6:50 a.m., Fair walked from his apartment across the street from the bus stop and was about to board the bus when a male approached him, according to Fowler. After a short altercation, Fair was shot and died at the scene, Fowler said.

No other injuries were reported.

Surveillance cameras on the bus showed the shooter go to a waiting vehicle driven by another person immediately after the gunfire, according to Fowler. There were 15 students on the bus at the time of the shooting, Fowler said.

Monday was the first day of the school year at Gaffney High.

No arrests have been reported by police, who said they’re “working closely with the Cherokee County School District as we continue to manage this incident and ensure the safety of our community, students, and school personnel.”

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In a Facebook post of its own, the school district said that there’s “no current danger to our schools,” and that classes are operating “with appropriate safety measures in place.”

“We understand that incidents like this can be frightening for students, families, and staff,” the school district said in the post.

There was no word about a motive for the shooting.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Department of Child Fatalities is assisting with the investigation, WHNS reported.

“Cherokee County extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, classmates, teachers, and everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence,” government officials said. “There are simply no words that can ease the heartbreak of a family or a community facing a loss like this.”

An autopsy will be performed as part of the coroner’s ongoing investigation.

“This is an absolute tragedy. It’s a sad world when our children cannot be safe while going to school,” Fowler said.