The town has been rocked by the case of 18-year-old Jelani Jackson, who was slain in a drive-by shooting on Clinton Avenue in Lancaster, South Carolina, on September 4. In the murder case, a second arrest has been made after months of investigation. A 31-year-old man from Lancaster named Lamonta Roberts was arrested on November 20 in Richland County on suspicion of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to WBTV.
Lamonta Roberts, who is currently being housed at the Lancaster County Detention Center, has also been charged with violating federal probation. The arrest comes after 19-year-old Kenyan Blair, who is charged in the same case, was already taken into custody. Blair has been detained since September and was initially being held on unrelated allegations. According to QC News, he and Roberts are both suspected of planning Jackson’s murder.
The incident was part of a larger string of gang-related retaliation shootings that rocked the Lancaster area in early September, officials discovered as the investigation progressed. According to the WSOC-TV report, six gunshots that occurred within a week of Jackson’s murder are thought to have been motivated by retaliation. There is currently a $20,000 prize for information that results in arrests and convictions in these violent breakouts, thanks to the involvement of federal authorities like the FBI and ATF.
The Lancaster Police Department encourages anyone with pertinent information to come forward, as do the Sheriff’s Office and Special Operations Unit. In an effort to piece together the complex web of violence that has taken the lives of children and undermined community safety, the anonymous tip line is still active. They emphasized the value of community support in resolving this crime and possibly averting future tragedies in a statement to QC News.
Residents of Lancaster, meanwhile, are having to deal with the fact that gang violence has crept into their neighborhoods. Citizens can help with the greater endeavor of justice and community repair by calling the Lancaster Police Department at 803-283-1171, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388, Special Operations Unit at 803-283-1174, or the anonymous tip line at 803-289-6040.
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