Beaufort Police search for murder suspect; residents call for extra safety measures

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WTOC) - Beaufort Police are searching for the suspect in a deadly apartment complex shooting over the weekend.

The deadly shooting happened here at the Cross Creek Apartments early Sunday.

“When the shots went off, she woke me up asking me to go check it out, but by the time I got to the balcony, you could hear the car skidding off and all that,” Beaufort resident, Tyshawn Payne said. “By the time I made it downstairs, his old lady was saying, ‘Help, help, call help.’”

When police arrived, they say they found 20-year-old St. Helena Island man, James Jenkins, had been shot several times.

Neighbors say Jenkins didn’t live at the complex but was visiting.

Police tried to help him until an ambulance arrived, which took him to the hospital, where he later died due to his injuries.

We spoke with someone who knew him, and he says he admired his drive.

“He wasn’t lazy,” Former coworker of Jenkins, George Evans said. “He liked to work. I used to work with him, and he was a hard worker.

He hopes the community supports the family through this tragic event.

“I just hope his family is okay,” Evans said. “I’m going to pray; I’m going to pray for them.”

So far, police haven’t arrested anyone.

Payne says that this isn’t the first deadly shooting to happen here.

He hopes that the complex will consider adding more security cameras to cover the entire complex, not just the well-lit areas.

“A lot of people would be like, ‘Oh, they have cameras, we aren’t going out there.’ People won’t be doing certain stuff.”

If you have information that could help police in this case, you are to contact the Beaufort Police Department at (843) 322-7972.

For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, online www.TIPSBFT.com, or by calling 1-844-847-7238. (Case #25B31618)