Rock Hill teen who ‘showed off’ stolen gun before killing friend remains jailed
A Rock Hill 15-year-old boy charged with shooting a 14-year-old neighbor in the face with a stolen gun in September will remain in jail as the case moves forward, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Braylen Jackson, 14, died Sept. 25 at a Rock Hill apartment after the 15-year-old played with the stolen gun before shooting Braylen, according to prosecutors and police.
The boy was arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter, breaking into a neighbor’s car to steal the gun, and weapons violations. Prosecutors do not believe the boy intentionally killed his friend but said he should remain jailed because the shooting was reckless and dangerous.
Visiting Judge Marcelo Torricos said in a hearing in York County Family Court it is in “the best interests” of the boy to remain detained at the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice.
Torricos said keeping the accused in custody gives him “time to think about his actions.”
“This is not a punitive decision,” Torricos said.
Torricos is the second judge in less than two weeks to keep the teen jailed pending trial.
The boy was in juvenile court Tuesday but did not speak. He kept his eyes downcast during the hearing but was allowed to hug family members afterward.
The Herald was the only media organization in court Tuesday. The Herald is not naming him because of his age .
Prosecutor: Boy showed off the gun before the killing
The boy stole the gun from a car nearby, then showed it off to others before the fatal shooting, prosecutor Erin Joyner said. He asked friends to come and look at the gun, then played with it before the killing, she said.
“He wanted to show his gun, sort of posturing, ‘Nobody is going to mess with him now,’” Joyner said of the 15-year-old.
Valeria Johnson, Braylen’s grandmother, urged the judge to keep the boy in jail, especially because the accused initially told police Braylen shot himself with the gun. The boy “made choices” to steal, point and shoot the gun, Johnson said.
Defense: Suspect at age 15 needs counseling, not jail
The boy’s mother argued for release because her son “is a child.”
The shooting was tragic and she feels sorrow for Braylen’s family, but it came about because of immaturity, she told the judge.
Joshua Brown, the boy’s lawyer, argued the boy has no prior criminal record and needs counseling, not jail. He can stay with family in nearby Lancaster County in a gated community with an ankle monitor and 24-hour supervision, Brown said.
The boy’s mental state will deteriorate further if he’s kept in the confines of DJJ, where conditions are crowded and the boy won’t get grief and other counseling he needs.
More, the most serious charge — involuntary manslaughter — carries a potential punishment of up to five years in prison for adults, Brown argued. The boy would have been given bail if he had been 18 or older at the time of the crime, he said.
“Keeping him in DJJ is in my opinion purely punitive,” said Brown, of the MLB law firm.
The boy’s lawyer and family can ask again in a few weeks for release as the case moves forward.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
