On New Year's Day in 2024, fourteen-year-old Jerrieme 'LJ' Washington was at his home on Castle Rock Road in Burton, South Carolina, enjoying an evening of playing video games. Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the street, striking the house and a vehicle parked in the driveway. A stray bullet entered the residence and tragically struck the young male, who was a freshman at Battery Creek High School.
Despite immediate efforts to save him, LJ succumbed to the single gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. There were two other individuals in the house at the time of the shooting, but they were unharmed. Investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office believe the shooting was a targeted incident, although they do not believe LJ himself was the intended victim.
The community mourned the loss of the beloved teenager, who was remembered for his infectious smile, positive attitude, and passion for soccer. He was an active member of the Club Beaufort de Fútbol for seven years and a member of the drumline in the Battery Creek High School band. His funeral drew a large crowd of nearly 700 people who came to pay their respects. In the months following the tragic event, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office made a series of arrests in connection with the drive-by shooting.
In May of 2025, authorities announced the first arrests in the case. Alex Joseph Bush, 20, of Columbia, was charged on May 10th with accessory before the fact to a felony. Five days later, 18-year-old Jeremiah Kieyonte Warren of St. Helena Island was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and aggravated breach of peace. Warren was already incarcerated at the Beaufort County Detention Center on an unrelated murder charge from a September 2024 shooting. A third suspect, 20-year-old Nashaun Jaden Arthur Benjamin of Savannah, Georgia, was also identified and faces charges of murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and aggravated breach of peace. Benjamin was in federal custody on unrelated weapons charges when the charges were announced.
The investigation continued, leading to a fourth arrest in August 2025. Twenty-four-year-old Niger Benjamin Davilia of Beaufort was charged with accessory before the fact to a felony. Davilia was already in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center on charges from a December 2024 incident. Investigators believe Davilia had prior knowledge of the planned shooting. As of the latest reports, trial dates for the four individuals charged in connection with the death of Jerrieme 'LJ' Washington had not yet been scheduled.
