South Carolina Student Fatally Shot at School Bus Stop

August 13, 2026

A 17-year-old Gaffney High School student in South Carolina was fatally shot Wednesday morning as he was about to board a school bus, authorities said, leaving witnesses and the wider community shaken days after classes resumed.

The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office identified the student as Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr., in a statement sent to School Transportation News. The shooting occurred near a bus stop in the 500 block of West Rutledge Avenue.

Fair left his apartment across the street and walked toward the bus stop at 6:49 a.m., the coroner’s office said. A male approached him as he prepared to board the bus, and a brief altercation followed. Fair was then shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

Surveillance video from the school bus showed the shooter fleeing to a nearby vehicle driven by another person, according to the coroner’s office. Fifteen students were on the bus and witnessed the shooting.

Authorities had not announced an arrest, identified a suspect, or disclosed a possible motive. Police have also not released a description of the shooter, the driver, or the vehicle.

In its initial public statement, the Gaffney Police Department described the location as an active crime scene and asked residents to avoid the area and use alternate routes. Police warned that additional law enforcement activity should be expected as officers continued their investigation.

The department said it is working closely with the school district to manage the response and protect students, school employees and the broader community.

“Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, no additional details are being released at this time,” police said. The department added that more information would be provided when its release would not interfere with the investigation.

Cherokee County School District said authorities were actively handling the situation and that, based on available information, there was no current danger to schools or students. Schools continued operating with safety measures in place.

“We understand that incidents like this can be frightening for students, families, and staff,” the district said in a statement. It encouraged families to follow official district and law enforcement communications and avoid circulating unverified information.

Students in Cherokee County returned to classrooms Monday, two days before the shooting. Police Chief Gerald Knight said additional patrols would be assigned to the shooting location and schools across the area for the remainder of the week.

Gaffney Mayor Lyman Dawkins III said his heart was broken and offered his thoughts and prayers to Fair’s family, loved ones and others affected by the violence.

“Our community is hurting, and this violence has to stop,” Dawkins said. “We ALL have a responsibility to keep fighting against it and do whatever it takes to protect our young people and one another.”

Dawkins said he was willing to work with anyone committed to finding solutions and warned young people that a single violent decision could permanently change two lives and two families.

The investigation remained active Wednesday. Officials did not say when they expected to release another update publicly.