Boy Fatally Shoots Classmate, 12, in South Carolina, Sheriff Says

It was not clear what led to the shooting or where the student had obtained a handgun. The two students were familiar with each other, the authorities said.

By Johnny Diaz @ NYTimes.com,April 1, 2022

The authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old student on Thursday by a classmate at their South Carolina middle school.

The suspect, a 12-year-old boy whose name was not released, was arrested on murder and weapons charges in the shooting, which occurred around noon at Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville, S.C., the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. There were no other injuries.

The victim, Jamari Cortez Bonaparte Jackson, was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 1 p.m., the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said in a statement. According to an autopsy conducted on Friday, the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.

It was not clear on Friday what had led to the shooting or where the student had obtained the handgun. The two students, both in the seventh grade, were familiar with each other, the authorities said.

In a statement released by Fighting Injustice Together, a community group in Greenville, Jamari’s relatives said they were devastated by the boy’s death.

“We love Jamari dearly and we would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time,” his family said.

In a statement released by Fighting Injustice Together, a community group in Greenville, Jamari’s relatives said they were devastated by the boy’s death.

“We love Jamari dearly and we would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time,” his family said [....]