In the quiet, early morning hours of April 5, 2025, in Florence, South Carolina, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace and ended the life of 46-year-old James Al Abraham II. A Black male known affectionately to his friends and family as 'Yino,' he was a truck driver and a graduate of Wilson High School. Abraham was a father of four and was remembered by those who knew him as the life of the party and a great friend and brother.
His sudden and violent death left a community in mourning and a family grappling with an immense loss.
The fatal encounter took place before 4 a.m. on Timmonsville Highway. Abraham was shot multiple times and was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal. The circumstances that led to the shooting in the pre-dawn darkness were not immediately clear, but the investigation swiftly pointed to a suspect.
Within a day of the shooting, the Florence County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old Latiffa Lashonda Rembert of Sumter. She was taken into custody and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators determined that Rembert had allegedly used a semi-automatic handgun in the commission of the crime.
While an arrest was made promptly, the motive behind the fatal shooting of James Al Abraham II has not been publicly disclosed. The case against Latiffa Lashonda Rembert is proceeding through the legal system. As of late 2025, she was being held at the Florence County Detention Center awaiting trial. The community and the family of 'Yino' await the resolution of the case, hoping for justice and closure in the wake of a senseless act of violence that cut a man's life short.
