The life of 18-year-old Zaire Ladale Davarous Jenkins was cut short on a Thursday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina. On December 26, 2024, the young male was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Crestwood Forest Apartments in the Cherrydale area. The Greenville County Sheriff's Office responded to 911 calls reporting gunshots just after 3:30 p.m. and found Jenkins suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initially, investigators had no suspect information and asked the public for help by calling Crime Stoppers. The Greenville County Coroner's Office confirmed Jenkins' death was a homicide and scheduled an autopsy for the following day. The investigation progressed quickly, and by the next morning, a suspect had been identified.
According to the sheriff's office, investigators learned that a man had approached Jenkins outside the apartments, and the two became involved in a verbal altercation. During the dispute, the man reportedly pulled out a handgun and shot Jenkins.
On Friday morning, 18-year-old Ajiya Rashad Poole turned himself in to authorities. He was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in connection with Zaire Jenkins' death. Poole appeared for a bond hearing that evening, where a judge denied his bond and ordered him to have no contact with the victim's family. As of December 2024, his case was set for a circuit court hearing within the next 30 days.
