In the winter of 2016, a dispute that began on social media escalated into a fatal encounter in the parking lot of a South Carolina bowling alley, claiming the life of 17-year-old Kejuan Mitchell Brown. The male teenager from Easley was shot in the chest on the evening of February 17th outside Tri-City Lanes and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The events leading to the shooting reportedly began with an online argument, culminating in a planned physical altercation at the bowling alley.
Shortly after the shooting, law enforcement located a vehicle matching witness descriptions at a nearby gas station. Four individuals were taken into custody and subsequently charged in connection with Brown's death.
The suspects were identified as 18-year-old Ja'mari Trayvar Fair, 19-year-old Dennis Ezell Gibbs, 22-year-old Albert Lavern Taylor, and a 15-year-old juvenile whose name was not publicly released. All four faced charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. It was noted that at the time of the incident, Fair was out on bond for a previous attempted murder charge.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Albert Lavern Taylor was identified as the shooter and, in January 2018, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the murder of Kejuan Brown. In February 2018, Dennis Ezell Gibbs Jr. pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact to murder and received a 15-year prison sentence. The specific legal outcomes for Ja'mari Trayvar Fair and the juvenile suspect have not been publicly detailed.
