On a spring evening, 21-year-old Jai'Shaun Young, a male from Gastonia, North Carolina, was visiting a home on Galilean Road in York, South Carolina, when his life was tragically cut short. It was May 4, 2024, and Young, along with some friends, had gone to the residence to visit with girls they had connected with through social media. While Young was on the back porch, gunfire suddenly erupted.
He was struck and died at the scene, marking the first homicide in the city of York since 2022.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a chaotic scene where approximately 15 to 16 shots were fired. Detectives determined that the attack was targeted and possibly gang-related, although they stated that Young was not the intended victim and had no involvement in gang activities. According to law enforcement, two suspects wearing ski masks knocked on the door, and when no one answered, one announced their gang's intention to shoot up the house before opening fire with a weapon described as similar to an AK-47. Young, a father to a young son, was remembered by his mother as a loving family man with a big smile who made sure to hug everyone. His last words were reportedly to protect a one-year-old child who was inside the house at the time of the shooting.
In the days that followed, the York Police Department made two arrests. The suspects were identified as two 15-year-old male residents of York County. The first was taken into custody around May 9th, and the second was arrested on May 16th. Both teenagers were charged with one count of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. They were placed in the custody of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. During a court hearing for one of the teens, who was already on probation for assault and battery, a judge found probable cause to move forward with the murder charge. A decision has not yet been made by the 16th Circuit Solicitor's Office on whether the juveniles will be tried as adults. The investigation remains active as police believe others may have been involved in the ambush.
