‘Keep his memory alive’: Pee Dee mother reacts to arrests in 14-year-old son’s death

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - The mother of a Florence County teenager killed last month says the family is a step closer to closure after a second arrest in the case.

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office said 21-year-old Kalebsolik Singletary on Tuesday in connection to the death of 14-year-old Jakari “Jurel” Doctor.

“I’m relieved,” Doctor’s mother, Lashonda, told WMBF News on Wednesday. “I feel a little at peace, although it’s not going to bring him back.”

Authorities said Singletary and 19-year-old Yabriah Lewis are each charged with murder and other charges related to the Sept. 18 shooting at the Liberty Street Apartments in Johnsonville.

Singletary allegedly got out of a car driven by Lewis and fired multiple rounds into a parked car occupied by six people, including Jurel and the other victim, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials said Jurel and a second victim, who was taken to a hospital and recovered, were both found nearby with gunshot wounds. Lewis was arrested two days after the shooting.

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office said Singletary was taken into custody Tuesday night after reports of a suspicious person near the Lake City Police Department.

The sheriff’s office later said Singletary lied to deputies about his name and date of birth - which were both verified by a fingerprint reader.

“He was always a foot, step ahead, just inches away from where we’d been,” said Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye. “So it was getting frustrating, but the good Lord works in mysterious ways.”

Meanwhile, Lashonda Doctor says she’s choosing to remember her son as an athletic teenager who loved football and basketball.

She added Jurel loved his family, as he was a twin and one of five siblings. Loshonda says Jurel‘s youngest brother, who’s just four years old, continues to ask about him.

And while there‘s now some relief, Lashonda Doctor says there is still sorrow over Jurel’s death and the family knows there will be a long road to justice.

“We talk about him every day,” she said. “We have videos and pictures. We’re doing things to keep him...keep his memory alive.”

Records show Singletary and Lewis are both being held at the Florence County Detention Center as of Wednesday afternoon.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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