By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of a teenager who was killed on Saturday, June 1, during a gathering in Seabrook.
Jayquan Young, 18, of Seabrook was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound at the scene at around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday on Seabrook Center Road. He was identified by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office on Monday, June 2.
According to police, Young was outside of a community center where many other people were also present.
Deputies responded just before 6:30 p.m. on Saturday to an area between two properties on Seabrook Center Road off Trask Parkway (U.S. 21) south of Huspa Creek.
Several people from the gathering directed police to the gunshot victim who did not appear to be breathing and had a pool of blood under his head, according to the incident report from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
One witness told police that before the gunshot was heard, he had seen Young and another man “playing with a gun” while standing outside of the building.
He stated that he told the men to put the gun away because there were children and families at the center, after which Young was reported to have put the gun in his pocket.
No arrests have been made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but there has been at least one person of interest identified.
The other man who was mentioned in the witness’ account was found by police and is considered a suspect. Deputies interviewed him and seized his cellphone.
Master Sgt. Bob Herlong with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said that Young’s death is actively being investigated, but police have not labeled the death as a homicide at this time.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 843-524-2777 and anonymous tips can be submitted through the Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County website, the P3 Tips app or by calling 844-847-7238.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
