In the early morning hours of September 14, 2016, in the small community of Wedgefield, South Carolina, the life of 17-year-old Jaquelle Dinkins was tragically cut short. Around 12:15 a.m., deputies responded to a call on Apollo Street and discovered Dinkins unresponsive on the ground, the victim of a fatal shooting.
According to witnesses, the events that led to the teenager's death began with a knock on the door of a residence on Apollo Street.
An occupant of the home reportedly attempted to pull the individuals inside. As they fled the unsettling encounter, shots were fired, and Dinkins was struck. The Sumter County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the homicide, seeking to piece together the circumstances of the senseless act of violence.
In the days following the shooting, investigators identified a person of interest they wished to question. However, after the individual voluntarily came to the Sheriff's Office and spoke with investigators, he was cleared and was no longer considered a person of interest in the case. With no suspects publicly named, the Sumter County Sheriff's Office offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Jaquelle Dinkins' death. The case remains a painful memory for a community left searching for answers and justice for the young life that was lost.
