SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ – A teenage boy was pronounced dead after being shot in the San Tan Valley neighborhood of Cambria on Tuesday evening, according to Pinal County sheriff’s deputies. The deceased has been identified as Jamiere Jenkins, 17.
The shooting incident took place on Cambria Drive near Ironwood and Ocotillo Roads, shortly after 5 p.m. Officials relayed that the shooting was a result of an argument between two teenagers, which escalated over several minutes. Amid the argument, one of the teens pulled out a gun and proceeded to shoot Jenkins in the neck. The suspect then fled the scene in a blue Charger.
Jenkins, a junior at Combs High School, was rushed to a nearby hospital. However, after his arrival, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. This incident marks the second death at the school in just over a month following the fatal beating of fellow junior, Preston Lord, outside a Halloween party in Queen Creek.
Law enforcement swiftly responded, with deputies scouring surveillance videos, ring camera recordings, and footage from an Amazon truck. They were able to track down the suspect, also a minor and as such his identity is withheld, within three hours of the fatal shooting. Officers reportedly found his vehicle early on Wednesday morning and have interviewed everyone who was in the vehicle during the shooting incident.
Despite the severity of events, Sheriff Mark Lamb of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office reassured residents that there was “no threat to the community”. He added how crucial parental involvement is in preventing such tragic events, labeling the shooting as a “cowardly” act that has devastated entire families.
This incident marks the second of three shootings involving teenagers in three days. Another 17-year-old girl was found dead after a house party in Casa Grande early on Sunday, followed by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy in a south Phoenix neighborhood late Tuesday night.