Tragically, a local teen has died at the hands of another after a shooting took place in a San Tan Valley neighborhood park last night.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28 on Cambria Drive, near Ironwood and Ocotillo roads.
Jamiere Jenkins, 17, a junior at Combs High School in San Tan Valley was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said the shooting took place after an argument between Jamiere and the other teen, who took out a gun and shot Jamiere in the neck. That teen left the scene in a blue Dodge Charger.
According to Sheriff Lamb, his deputies combed through area surveillance video and doorbell cameras, as well as video from a nearby Amazon truck. He said they started narrowing down locations, found the suspect, who is not being named at this time because he is a minor, and took him into custody.
This tragedy marks the second death of a Combs High School student. A month ago, fellow junior Preston Lord, 16, was beaten to death after leaving a Halloween party that got out of control near 194th Street and East Via Del Rancho Road in Queen Creek.
The J.O. Combs Unified School District released the following statement this morning:
Words cannot express our sadness and shock as we learn of the tragic death of another Combs High School student. This comes at a particularly devastating time, taking place in the wake of another recent tragedy from which our community is still reeling.
The impact of these events is not only felt deeply by our Combs High School campus, but by countless students, staff and families district-wide whose lives have been touched by these senseless acts of violence.
This latest news only amplifies the collective grief felt by so many in recent weeks, and there is no higher priority than supporting our students and families during this difficult time. This includes the ongoing availability of our crisis team who remain on campus and on call to provide resources and support. We have also created an online resource page for parents and family members who may seek assistance in navigating communication and support of these events with their children.
We express gratitude to our law enforcement partners in their diligent efforts to arrest and charge those responsible for these crimes, and echo their encouragement in asking those with knowledge or information to reach out via their designated channels.
