Jayson Cooke dies in fatal Richland County shooting
Fatal Richland County shooting death of Jayson Cooke – Obituary
Authorities in Richland County have identified 17-year-old Jayson Cooke as the victim who died following a shooting that took place on Sunday evening along Percival Road.
According to Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford, Cooke was found deceased inside a vehicle that had collided with a wall near the intersection of Percival Road and Quail Run Lane. Deputies had responded to reports of gunfire and a crash in the area around 7 p.m. A witness informed officers that someone had been shot inside the crashed vehicle.
Law enforcement later discovered the vehicle and confirmed that Cooke, the driver, had died from a gunshot wound. Investigators believe the shooting occurred during a drug-related transaction that escalated. The crash reportedly happened after Cooke was shot and the vehicle’s brakes failed.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested four individuals in connection with the incident: 20-year-old Makenzie Shine, 18-year-old Sa’riya Green, 17-year-old Elon Williams, and a 15-year-old juvenile. All four are charged with murder. In addition, Williams and the 15-year-old face weapons charges related to the shooting.
Deputies said the suspects fled the crash scene immediately after the shooting. K-9 units tracked them to a mobile home park nearby, where the department’s special response team issued commands for the suspects to exit. All four eventually surrendered.
Cooke’s mother later shared with local media that she believes her son was lured to the area by someone he considered a friend.
Shine, Green, and Williams were taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, while the 15-year-old was transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Bond decisions for the adult suspects will be handled in General Sessions Court.
Officials also noted that Green was wearing an ankle monitor at the time due to a prior charge for tampering with an electronic monitoring device earlier this year.
The investigation remains active.
