Jaiden Antwone Smalls, a 13-year-old Black male from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was known to many for his quick smile, sense of humor, and caring spirit. Born on September 19, 2010, Jaiden was a student at Myrtle Beach Middle School, where he was a beloved "Seahawk." His family and friends knew him affectionately as "Juicey J," a young man whose life was just beginning.
In the early hours of September 1, 2024, Horry County Police responded to a call about a shooting at a home on
Terrace View Court. Just after midnight, officers arrived to find Jaiden inside the residence with a fatal gunshot wound. Authorities initially described the shooting as an isolated incident involving juvenile residents of the same household and stated that all involved parties were accounted for.
The investigation led to the arrest of Jaiden’s brother, Erik Smalls, who was a juvenile at the time of the incident. According to arrest warrants, investigators believe Erik shot Jaiden in the face with a Glock 17 9mm pistol. The warrants allege that he then attempted to stage a cover-up by firing multiple rounds out of a bedroom window and reporting the shooting as a drive-by. Authorities also accused him of destroying evidence by flushing shell casings down a toilet and hiding the firearm in the home's dishwasher.
Erik Smalls was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter and taken into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. However, after the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office took over the case, the charge was upgraded to murder. The warrant for the upgraded charge alleges that Erik acted with "malice aforethought," indicating prosecutors believe the act was intentional. As of September 2024, Erik Smalls’s case had been transferred from the juvenile system so that he could be prosecuted as an adult. He was being held without bond at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
