On New Year’s Day 2024, fourteen-year-old Jerrieme LJ Washington was at home on Castle Rock Road in Burton, South Carolina, when a barrage of gunfire from the street struck his house and a vehicle in the driveway. A stray bullet entered the residence and fatally wounded the freshman at Battery Creek High School; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people in the house were unharmed. Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said they believe the shooting was targeted, though LJ himself was not thought to be the intended victim.

Washington was remembered by his community for an infectious smile, a positive attitude, and his passion for soccer; he had played with Club Beaufort de Fútbol for seven years and was on the Battery Creek High School drumline. Nearly 700 people attended his funeral. In May 2025 authorities announced arrests tied to the drive-by: Alex Joseph Bush, 20, charged with accessory before the fact to a felony; 18-year-old Jeremiah Kieyonte Warren of St. Helena Island, charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and aggravated breach of peace; and 20-year-old Nashaun Jaden Arthur Benjamin of Savannah, Georgia, facing the same charges. A fourth arrest followed in August 2025, when 24-year-old Niger Benjamin Davilia of Beaufort was charged with accessory before the fact to a felony. Trial dates had not been scheduled.

I hope they convict all 3 in this. So sad and senseless.

Praise the Lord they caught these POSs! I hope they all get the death penalty even tho they probbly wont.