On a cold January morning in Sumter, South Carolina, the body of 34-year-old Jarvis Omar Rush, a male, was discovered in a grassy lot on East Newberry Avenue. It was January 13, 2018, around 10:30 a.m., when the grim finding was reported. Rush had sustained several gunshot wounds, and investigators determined that the shooting had occurred hours before his body was found.
The news of his death sent ripples of shock and sadness through the community, particularly among those who knew him from his work at a local restaurant, where he was remembered as a good man.
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a homicide investigation into what they described as a 'senseless killing.' In the days that followed, law enforcement appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, offering a $5,000 reward. The community responded overwhelmingly, flooding the sheriff's office with tips and leads after reward posters were distributed throughout the area. This community cooperation proved to be instrumental in breaking the case.
Less than a month after Rush's death, two suspects were taken into custody. On February 1, 2018, 17-year-old Gerquell Harris was arrested, followed by the arrest of 26-year-old Mario Antwan Lloyd the next morning. Authorities announced that they were confident these were the two men responsible for Rush's death. Lloyd was charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and conspiracy. Harris faced charges of accessory to attempted armed robbery, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
Investigators believe that the motive behind the fatal shooting was an attempted armed robbery. They asserted that Lloyd was the one who pulled the trigger. Following their arrests, both Harris and Lloyd were held at the Sumter County Sheriff's Office Detention Center as they awaited bond hearings. The arrests brought a sense of relief to the community and to the family and friends of Jarvis Omar Rush, who mourned the tragic and untimely loss of his life.
