Nationwide, gun violence is the leading cause of death for ages 1 to 19. The Richland Northeast High community in Woodfield, South Carolina, knows this well: Over the past five years, a total of six students there have died by gun violence, including 17-year-old Jayson Cooke.
On June 8, Cooke was allegedly lured into an attack where he was shot behind the wheel of his car.
“Jayson was my only son, my pride, and my joy,” said Regina Reed, Jayson’s mother, adding that he was “full of big dreams.”
Richland County K-9 units and responding officers tracked down four individual suspects, ultimately charging two adolescents and two adults with his murder.
Jayson was the second student at Richland Northeast High School to become a victim of teen gun violence in the last two school years. On Feb. 16, 2024, 16-year-old Fahim Khalid, a junior and member of the basketball team, was shot and killed outside his Woodfield home. The investigation is still ongoing, and no one has been charged.
“The Northeast community faces the same issues we see across all of Richland County when it comes to youth and violence,” said Master Deputy Alexandra Salrin, Public Information Officer with Richland County Sheriff’s Department, in an email to The Saber. “Gun violence among teens and young adults not only hurts our communities in the present but in the future,”
In South Carolina, guns are especially prevalent and laws are especially permissive. Nearly half of all households in the state own firearms – 49.9% according to RAND Research. In March 2024, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law the ”Constitutional Carry” bill, which permits adults 18 and older to own and carry a loaded handgun openly, or concealed, without a permit or documentation of training. That may make firearms in cases like Cooke’s legal by default, no matter how they were acquired.
Jayson’s mother and advocates in the community believe education and community involvement are now the ways to counteract the trends of gun violence among South Carolina teens.
“Parents, teachers and neighbors must be actively involved in the lives of our youth and speak up when they see warning signs,” Regina said.
She also believes youth need training on conflict resolution and the real-life consequences of gun violence — a sentiment the Richland County Sheriff’s Department echoed.
“We need the adults in our community to step up and educate young people on the permanent decision they’re making when they choose to get involved with a gun,” Salrin said.
Richland Northeast’s district, Richland School District Two, has also taken proactive steps toward education and prevention by joining the nationwide BeSMART initiative, a nonprofit coalition of community leaders, law enforcement, and public health officials. BeSMART focuses on gun storage specifically, educating youth and families about ways to responsibly story firearms. During the second annual “SMART Week” press conference held at South Carolina’s Columbia City Hall this August, the school district reiterated its commitment to preventing gun violence.
Local law enforcement has also joined the prevention effort. On Aug. 18, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department held an anonymous gun and ammo drop-off, during which community members could surrender firearms and ammo without facing legal repercussions. Over 2,000 rounds of ammunition were collected there.
“A gun is going to get you one of two places: in the cemetery or in jail,” Sheriff Leon Lott said at the event.
Along with community-centered events, RCSD also offers support through their Youth Services Division and Victim Services Division, providing resources to individuals and families impacted by gun violence.
In the wake of Jayson’s death, his family and community are left with grief and the incomprehensibility of the tragedy.
“Just losing a family member in general really hurt, but to gun violence, especially for what it was, it was senseless,” said Cooke’s god-brother Jayden Gaskins, a senior at Richland Northeast.
Jayson’s mother Regina is reminded daily of the moments with her son she will never get back, she said. She visits his memorial often just to feel close to him.
“Simple tasks are harder now, and my relationships have shifted because grief changes how you connect with others,” she said. “Teen gun violence doesn’t just take a life — it destroys families and leaves an ache that never fades.”