ROCK HILL, S.C. — A normally quiet stretch of Southland Park Drive turned into a killing ground just after 2 a.m. Friday when gunfire erupted, claiming the life of 18-year-old Tyjah Brevard and leaving a 20-year-old man clinging to life.
Rock Hill Police say officers were flagged down by panicked residents who heard at least a dozen shots and screams for help. They found Tyjah lying in the street, already gone from multiple gunshot wounds. A few feet away, the 20-year-old victim (whose name is being withheld until family is notified) was bleeding heavily from several hits. Paramedics rushed him to Piedmont Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
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Detectives say the shooting appears to have been targeted. Shell casings littered the roadway, and a dark-colored sedan was seen speeding away toward Dave Lyle Boulevard immediately after the shots.
Tyjah, a 2025 graduate of Rock Hill High School, had just started working at a local Amazon fulfillment center and was saving for his own apartment.
Friends and teammates from the Bearcats football team flooded social media with heartbreak, remembering him as the kid who “never met a stranger” and always had the locker room laughing.
“He was supposed to turn 19 next month,” his cousin wrote online. “He had plans, man. Real plans.”
A growing memorial of candles, Gatorade bottles, and Tyjah’s old #11 practice jersey now sits under a tree at the spot where he fell. Teammates plan to wear “TB11” decals on their helmets for the rest of the season.
Police are asking anyone who was in the Southland Park area between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. Friday, or who has doorbell/doorbell-cam footage, to call the Rock Hill PD Criminal Investigations Division at 803-329-7292 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-877-409-4321.
Rock Hill woke up to another young life stolen. The city is tired, angry, and demanding answers.
Rest easy, Tyjah. The whole city’s got your number on its back tonight. 🕊️🖤 #JusticeForTyjah