Alton Jermaine Hair Jr., known as AJ, was a 19-year-old Black man from Orangeburg, South Carolina who was shot and killed on December 27, 2021. He and three other teenage boys had driven to a location near Cordova in Orangeburg County to meet someone about buying a gun. While the teens remained in their car, two males approached; what began as a transaction turned into a robbery at gunpoint when one of the men outside allegedly ordered, Give it up!. Shots were fired into the vehicle. AJ was mortally wounded; a 17-year-old with him suffered a serious arm wound and two other teens escaped unharmed physically.

The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident as a homicide tied to robbery. Detectives later obtained warrants charging an 18-year-old, Deamonta Saquandra Davis of St. Matthews, with murder in AJ’s death, three counts of attempted murder for the surviving teenagers and weapon charges. Those warrants were served while Davis was already in custody on an unrelated February 22, 2022 shooting in Orangeburg County that left one man dead and another wounded. AJ’s family held services at Simmons Funeral Home and burial at St. Stephens United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Does anyone have information about AJ, the December 27 scene near Cordova, or contacts who might help investigators?