SC murder may have been payback over less than $1 in change

A teenage boy is in custody after he shot and killed a 25-year-old man over what may have been less than a $1, and his accomplice is still on the lam, according to officials.

Deputies arrested Jermaine Dupri Davis, 17 but who was 16 at the time of the incident, August 10 on Broad River Road without incident, according to a news release from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Davis and an acquaintance were in front of Stop & Go Corner Store, 3536 Kay St., Aug. 2 and asked Zaire Janyi Franklin to go inside the store and purchase cigars for them since they were under the legal purchasing age, the release stated.

Zaire purchased the cigars for them and kept their change, which was slightly less than $1.

The three ended up in a verbal altercation over the change and then went their separate ways.

Then Davis and his acquaintance saw Franklin Aug. 5 leaving the same store. They reportedly approached him and shot him on the 100 block of Wood Court.

Deputies also believe Davis and the other suspect carjacked another victim’s 2000 GMC Jimmy SUV as he exited the same store Aug. 3, according to officials. The suspects reportedly pointed a gun at the victim and demanded his car keys and fled the area in the stolen vehicle.

Deputies arrived at the scene and found Franklin lying on the ground unresponsive. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said an autopsy indicated Franklin died from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Sheriff Leon Lott stated this investigation is ongoing and additional arrests could be forthcoming.

Davis charged with murder and carjacking. He is being charged as an adult and was booked into Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "SC murder may have been payback over less than $1 in change."