Juvenile charged in Tanglewood shooting death kept in detention after court appearance

The juvenile boy charged with shooting and killing Jamari Cortez Bonaparte Jackson, 12, on March 31 will remain in custody following a court appearance Thursday morning.

The suspect, who has not been identified because of his age, is charged with murder for shooting Jackson in the "700" wing of the school, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The family court appearance at 9:30 Thursday morning was to determine whether or not the suspect would remain in custody at the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, according to Marcia Barker, an administrative assistant with the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

The 12-year-old boy is charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a firearm on school property and unlawful possession of a weapon by a person under the age of 18.

"We're hoping there will be a waiver hearing next spring [about whether] to waive him up to General Sessions Court, but [a date for that] has not been determined yet," Barker said. "So he'll remain there until we have another hearing."

In early April, an initial detention hearing was waived for the suspect. That hearing was delayed until the appearance Thursday in family court.

The boy will remain in custody in Columbia and is awaiting a Spring 2023 waiver that will determine whether or not he will be tried as an adult.

According to state law, a family court judge has the authority to waive a child of any age charged with murder to adult criminal court after a full investigation and hearing. In other circumstances, such as an unlawful weapon charge, the child must be 14 or older for consideration of a transfer.

The News previously reported that an incident report from the Sheriff's Office stated that the shooting might have possibly been gang-related.