The arrests followed a search that stretched into Thursday after a 17-year-old Gaffney High School student was killed Wednesday morning.
GAFFNEY, S.C. — Three suspects are in custody in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Gaffney High School student who was attacked as he prepared to board a school bus Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Jomiltron Sentell Fair Jr. was shot near a bus stop in the 500 block of West Rutledge Avenue, across the street from the Granard Courts apartment complex where he lived. The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office said Fair walked from his apartment to the stop about 6:49 a.m. and was preparing to board when another male approached him. Authorities said a brief altercation followed before Fair was shot and died at the scene.
The investigation quickly expanded beyond the shooting site. Police arrested Reginald Louis Barnes Jr., 17, in Spartanburg early Thursday and charged him as an adult with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A judge later denied Barnes bond. An 18-year-old suspect, Keveon Ken’Dre Covington, was also charged with murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Authorities searched for Covington for much of Thursday after investigators said he fled as officers tried to locate him. Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller said officers established a perimeter around roads near Gaffney while law enforcement teams searched the area. Grassy Pond Elementary School was placed on a temporary lockout as a precaution during the search, though officials said normal activities continued inside the school.
The search shifted after residents outside the perimeter reported that a man believed to be Covington had approached a home asking to use a phone and get water, authorities said. Officials said residents recognized him and attempted to delay him until officers arrived. He fled into nearby woods but was located shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday and taken into custody without incident, according to authorities. The school lockout was later lifted.
A third suspect, a 16-year-old whose name has not been released because of his age, was taken into custody during a traffic stop in Spartanburg County, authorities said. Officials have not publicly released the same level of detail about the juvenile’s alleged role in the case. The arrests brought an end to the immediate searches for suspects connected to Fair’s death, but investigators continue working to determine what happened and who fired the shots.
At a Thursday bond hearing for Barnes, Solicitor Barry Barnette said investigators believe two shooters and two guns were involved and that at least five shots were fired. Authorities recovered two firearms, Barnette said, and testing was underway to help determine which weapon fired the fatal shot. The statements outlined a more complex investigation than the first reports from the scene, when officials said Fair had been shot following an altercation at the bus stop.
Barnes told the court that he was present but said he did not shoot Fair and did not know Fair would be killed. Barnes has not been convicted, and the charges against him and Covington remain allegations as the criminal cases move forward. Investigators have not publicly announced a motive for the shooting.
The shooting unfolded in view of students who were already aboard the bus. Officials said about 15 students witnessed the incident. Bus surveillance video showed a person leaving the shooting scene and heading toward a waiting vehicle, according to authorities. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Department of Child Fatalities was asked to assist, a step the agency takes in unexpected, suspicious or violent deaths involving children.
Fair was a Gaffney High School senior. His family said he was working toward graduating early and was preparing to become a father in October. Relatives described a teenager focused on his family and future. A memorial developed near the bus stop as the Gaffney community mourned his death, which came just days after Cherokee County students returned to school for the new academic year.
Police increased patrols around schools and the shooting location after Fair’s death. With all three identified suspects now in custody, investigators are continuing to examine the firearms, surveillance evidence and circumstances surrounding the shooting. Court proceedings will determine the criminal responsibility of those charged.
Author note: Last updated August 14, 2026.