Teen charged with murder after watermelon festival shooting, SC cops say
One teenager is dead and another is behind bars following a shooting at a recent watermelon festival, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Jayden Jeremiah Jefferies, a 17-year-old Pageland resident, was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a deadly crime and additional penalty for a concealable weapon as he wasn’t eligible for a concealed weapons permit, SLED said in a news release.
The shooting happened July 18 at the Watermelon Festival in Pageland, according to SLED. The event, which has been happening for more than 70 years according to its Facebook page, was held at the grounds at the junction of Pearl and McGregor streets, arrest warrants show.
Following a verbal altercation, Jefferies shot the 17-year-old victim in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun, according to arrest warrants. Information about why the teens were arguing was not available.
Jefferies said he “pulled the handgun that was concealed in his waistband and fired ... several times at the unarmed victim before fleeing the scene and dropping the gun,” an arrest warrant said.
Sean Davis was the 17-year-old who was shot and died , Queen City News reported. Central High School’s cross country and track & field team used social media to confirm the death of the teen who was a track runner.
Jefferies was booked into the Chesterfield County Detention Center, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office. He will be prosecuted by the 4th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to SLED.
Both the sheriff’s office and Pageland Police Department asked SLED to lead an investigation into the shooting.
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This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Teen charged with murder after watermelon festival shooting, SC cops say."
