Ty Haskell Jenkins

Ty Haskell Jenkins IV, a 20-year-old Black man from the close-knit community of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, was known to some by his nicknames "1 Fatboy," "Ty," "Turtle," and "Wiz." Born on June 25, 2005, his life was violently cut short in a burst of gunfire on a late summer afternoon, leaving a family and community to navigate a future without him.

The shooting happened on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at the Independence Mobile Home Park on Shanklin Road in Burton. Around 4 p.m., the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office communications center began receiving calls reporting shots fired. When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered Ty deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The sudden violence shattered the quiet of the neighborhood, concerning residents who noted it was not the first deadly shooting in their area and wished for greater security measures like cameras and lighting to prevent future tragedies.

Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office worked quickly to identify a person of interest. They named 21-year-old Tyre Joe Atkins, also of St. Helena Island, as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest on a charge of murder. An alert was issued to the public, describing Atkins as a 5-foot-10, 170-pound man who was considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen driving a 2015 blue Jeep Cherokee with a South Carolina license plate.

A manhunt for Atkins began immediately. The day after the shooting, investigators located the blue Jeep Cherokee he had been driving, but Atkins himself was nowhere to be found. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), continued to pursue leads, urging the public to call 911 if they saw the suspect. For four months, Atkins remained at large while the investigation pressed on.

On Friday, January 16, 2026, the search came to an end when Beaufort County Sheriff's deputies arrested Tyre Joe Atkins. He was charged with murder in the death of Ty Jenkins. In addition to the murder charge, Atkins faced a string of other serious charges, including attempted murder, felon in possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and aggravated breach of peace.

In the days following Ty’s death, his family prepared to lay him to rest. A visitation was held on September 19, 2025, at the Helen Memorial Chapel in Beaufort, followed by a funeral service the next day at the Orange Grove Baptist Church on St. Helena Island. It was a time for loved ones to gather and mourn the profound loss of a young man just beginning his adult life.

As of January 2026, the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting remained under investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Following his arrest, Tyre Joe Atkins awaited legal proceedings for the multiple charges against him. Anyone with information about the incident is still encouraged to contact the lead investigator, Master Sgt. Duncan, at 843-255-3418. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County at 844-847-7238.