A 12-year-old boy has died after a school shooting on Thursday at Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville, South Carolina.
In a Facebook post, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office shared details about the tragic killing, adding that the shooter - also 12 years old - is in custody and being charged with murder.
"A school resource officer who was working at the school requested emergency backup at 12:23 PM. after hearing shots fired. We soon learned that the gunfire was from a 12-year-old student who shot another 12-year-old student inside the 700 wing of the school," the post read.
"The victim was shot at least one time and was quickly tended to by the SRO and staff before being transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased," it continued.
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Greenville News that the 12-year-old who died in the shooting was named Jamari Cortez Bonaparte Jackson.
A manhunt for the shooter, whose name has not been released, commenced after he fled the school. Authorities found him hiding under a deck in a nearby residence and took him into custody.
"The suspect, who is a 12-year-old male student was arrested and is being charged with Murder, Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime, Possession of a Firearm on School Property and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Person under the age of 18. He will be transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia," the post explained.
Authorities went on to say that, while the shooting is still under investigation, they "can confirm that the victim and suspect were familiar with each other." They added that they are "confident the incident was isolated," adding: "No other students were injured in the incident."
The post concluded with a statement from Sherrif Lewis, who expressed his grief over the tragic event.
He wrote in the post: "My heart breaks for this young boy’s family and my prayers are with them tonight. Additionally, I will be praying for the other young boy who pulled the trigger and his family. I can not fathom what would cause someone to do this to another human being and especially at that age, but I know it’s a situation where we all need to turn to God.
"I can not be more proud of all the law enforcement and first responders and the way they worked hand in hand with the professionals at the Greenville County School District. They put these plans in place for a reason and I think today you can see the importance of these protocols.
"We will continue our efforts through training and enforcement of laws to do what we can to ensure our schools are safe but I also ask parents to have conversations with your kids. Check their belongings and ensure they don’t have anything that could be a danger to themselves or anyone else. It truly takes a village and we need everyone’s investment."
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