SC man admits to killing teen in Myrtle Beach for tournament. What is his sentence?
An Aiken man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of a teenage basketball player in 2024.
Gary Jaquise Abraham, 20, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The 16-year-old shooting victim, Jakolbi Taylor, was in Myrtle Beach for a basketball tournament that weekend.
Taylor and a group of people were near 16th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach on July 20 when Abraham approached them. Abraham, who was wearing a backpack, motioned for the group to follow him to the beach, The Sun News previously reported.
Abraham was then seen on a security camera taking the backpack off. Shortly after he fired multiple shots at the group, hitting Taylor.
Witnesses at the scene and other known associates at the time of the incident identified Abraham as having a gun before, during and after the shooting.
In a statement on Tuesday, Assistant Solicitor Adam Harrelson extended his condolences to Taylor’s family.
“This matter serves as another reminder of the tragic and lasting consequences of gun violence on Ocean Boulevard,” Harrelson said. “It continues to put the lives of innocent families in danger.
