OSCEOLA, Fla. — Detectives with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office have identified 16-year-old Jairus Eroge Jones as the teen who was shot and killed at a Walmart on Thursday, Feb. 19.
The incident occurred after authorities received reports of shoplifting involving three individuals. Two other individuals present at the time of the shooting, a juvenile and an adult in his 20s, have been identified but not publicly named.
Sheriff Christopher Blackmon stated that a Walmart loss prevention officer notified a deputy about three men hiding merchandise inside the store around 8 p.m. Three armed “good Samaritans” were on the scene and told law enforcement they would assist during the confrontation.
These people included an off-duty firefighter, a police officer, and a civilian.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident as an officer-involved shooting. Investigators have not released additional details about which individuals fired weapons during the encounter.
Anyone with information about the suspects should call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
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