Crime
Jayden Jefferies Charged with Murder in Fatal Shooting of Sean Davis at Pageland Watermelon Festival
PAGELAND, S.C. — Authorities have arrested and charged a 17-year-old in connection with the fatal shooting of another teenager during the Pageland Watermelon Festival on Friday night.
Jayden Jeremiah Jefferies, a Chesterfield County resident, was taken into custody late Saturday and is charged with murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a concealed weapon.
Jefferies was booked into the Chesterfield County Jail, where his bond was denied.
Due to the seriousness of the felony charges, Jefferies cannot be granted bond by a magistrate and will remain in custody until he appears before a circuit court judge during a future session of General Sessions Court.
According to South Carolina law, 17-year-olds charged with certain violent felonies—particularly those carrying potential sentences of 15 years or more—are automatically prosecuted as adults.
This was confirmed by Chesterfield County Chief Magistrate John Davis.
The victim has been identified as Sean Davis, a 17-year-old student-athlete at Central High School in Pageland.
Davis was a member of both the school’s football and track teams and was scheduled to run in the Watermelon Festival 5K event on Saturday morning.
Central High’s coaching staff and teams publicly mourned his loss on social media.
The fatal shooting occurred shortly before the festival’s opening night ended, near the intersection of McGregor and South Pearl Street, in the heart of downtown Pageland.
A crowd of teenagers had gathered in the area when gunfire erupted, sending dozens of people fleeing in panic.
The scene was just feet from the Pageland Police Department’s tent and within sight of multiple Chesterfield County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to festival security.
Emergency dispatchers received the first call for help around 10:41 p.m. Initially, first responders requested a medical helicopter to transport the critically injured teen from Pageland Airport.
However, they ultimately decided that the fastest option was to transport him by ambulance to a trauma center near Charlotte. Despite their efforts, Davis was pronounced dead before arriving at the hospital.
The Chesterfield County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death around midnight.
Crime scene investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrived within the hour and worked into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Officers documented the scene, collected evidence from the location where the suspect allegedly fired the weapon, and from where the victim collapsed.
At the time of the shooting, investigators had not publicly identified a suspect.
The Pageland Police Department released a brief statement confirming the fatal incident and offering condolences, with Chief Dean Short stating, “This is a heartbreaking event that deeply impacts our entire community.”
The Town of Pageland canceled the remainder of the Watermelon Festival out of respect for the victim and his family, asking the community to “support one another during this difficult time.”
The investigation is now being led by SLED, with further updates expected as the case progresses.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.