12-year-old arrested for shooting and killing classmate at school

‘This is my worst nightmare; I think about this all the time,’ one parent said

A 12-year-old child died after a shooting at Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office confirmed to Greenville News that the child who was killed was Jamari Cortez Bonaparte Jackson. He was shot at least once in the school by another 12-year-old student who has been arrested. A coroner confirmed Friday that Jamari was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest.

The student who allegedly shot Jamari left the school after the shooting and was found hiding under a deck at a nearby home, the sheriff's office said. The boy is expected to be 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 18.

The boy will be taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia. The students reportedly knew each other but the sheriff's office said a motive is still being determined.

A school resource officer called for emergency backup after hearing gunshots at the school around 12:30pm, officials said. Authorities later found that a student had shot another student and that the two knew each other.

Approximately 100 deputies and offices from several law enforcement agencies responded to the call.

The students at the school were evacuated and taken to Brookwood Church in Simpsonville following the incident. Hundreds of parents were waiting at the church to retrieve their children. The parents were asked to fill out forms with information about their students and to provide identification.

Parents shared their feelings about the incident with Greenville News.

"This is my worst nightmare; I think about this all the time," Adrienne Freeman, the mother of a seventh grader at the school, said.

Craig Sullivan, who lives around the corner from the school, expressed shock at the incident.

“This type of stuff doesn’t happen in Greenville — never has it happened in a school," he said. "I went to this school back in the 70s. Tanglewood is Tanglewood. We’re a close people."

South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster issued a statement on Twitter in response to the shooting, thanking the responding officers and asking for prayer for the families and students involved in the incident.

“My heart breaks for this young boy’s family and my prayers are with them tonight,” Grenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said in a statement. “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.”

He urged parents to talk with their children and encourage them to ensure their safety as well as the safety of others.

“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,” he said.