MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – The family of a teenager from Virginia fatally shot in Myrtle Beach over the weekend is searching for answers.
In a statement released Monday morning, the family of 16-year-old Jakolbi Taylor said the teen was visiting Myrtle Beach from Roanoke, Virginia, with an AAU basketball team when he was shot at the beach access on 16th Avenue North.
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Myrtle Beach police said officers responded to the area just after 1:15 a.m. Saturday. Further details about what led up to the shooting have been limited and no suspects have been identified.
WMBF News has requested more information and a copy of a police report but has not received it as of Monday morning.
According to his family, Taylor was scheduled to leave for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to join another AAU team for “a crucial ‘live period’ tournament attended by college coaches and scouts.”
“To know Jakolbi was to love him. He was a young man of exceptional character and radiant spirit, with a unique ability to uplift and transform the atmosphere of any room he entered,” his aunt, Briana Taylor, said as part of the family’s statement. “As a cherished member of his community, Jakolbi’s presence was a blessing to everyone who had the privilege of crossing his path.”
“He had a tournament for his basketball team this Saturday. He said, ‘Auntie, I left my jersey, can you bring it to me?’ like I was up the street, and mind you I was in Roanoke at the time. So, of course, I was going to be there,” Taylor told WMBF News. “Now we don’t have to go. What basketball game do I have to see? This is unfathomable.”
Jakolbi’s family said he was out hanging out with four of his friends when a group of 12 people showed up.
They said it’s unclear what led to the shooting, but, say he was shot while trying to run away.
“Our lives will be forever changed. Our lives will never be the same. My mom, his mom, my sister will never see him again. We’ll never see him again,” Taylor said. “He’ll never get to do any of the things he wanted to do for senseless violence for nothing. My nephew is not a gangster. He’s never held a gun in his hand.”
The family said Taylor was a student at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke and was recognized as one of the top players in the state of Virginia’s 2026 recruiting class.
“Jakolbi’s legacy extends far beyond his athletic achievements. He was admired not only for his skills on the court but also for the remarkable person he was. The community mourns the loss of a young man who had so much more to give, both as an athlete and a beloved community member,” the family’s statement read.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Stay with WMBF News for updates.
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