Mourners demand justice for star Virginia basketball player killed in Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Jakolbi Taylor was a gifted basketball player, never scared of taking a big shot when it mattered most.

In the final game he ever played — an AAU tournament in Myrtle Beach last weekend — the Patrick Henry High School star dropped 43 points.

“He could put the team on his back and take over the game at any moment. When it was crunch time, Jakolbi really loved to ball out,” his coach Christian Kirchman said on Saturday, standing a few feet from Taylor’s casket on the Roanoke, Va., court where Taylor excelled. “Jakolbi was a special talent, truly one-of-a-kind.”

Thousands gathered for a celebration of life to remember the dynamic and deeply religious Jakolbi, who was fatally shot in the early morning hours of July 20 near the 16th Ave N. beach access.

Little is known about circumstances surrounding the incident beyond a police report that says more than two dozen officers responded and suspects were seen running away.

“Jakolbi would want some good to come out of this. He would want justice,” said Toni Belton, principal at Roanoke Academy for Math & Science and one of his former teachers. “We did everything we could, and yet the violence found him and cut his potential destiny short.”

On Wednesday, a Virginia state lawmaker asked law enforcement there to assist Myrtle Beach authorities in their investigation.

Delegate Sam Rasoul, who made the request, attended Taylor’s celebration of life.

“What a tragic loss of a bright young soul in our community,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter . “We want to ensure that any resources we have here in Virginia to assist in the investigation are offered. Fortunately, the Virginia State Police have been responsive to this request and are reaching out to offer any assistance they can to South Carolina authorities.”

Demands for justice rang through the remarks of many that spoke on Saturday — including via letter from Jakolbi’s mother, Jessica.

“I’m so sorry, baby, that at a time you needed me the most, I wasn’t there,” she wrote. “I couldn’t be there because of my ignorant decisions that I chose to make, and that’s going to terrorize me for the rest of my life.”

Belton said despite the tragedy that ended Taylor’s life, he wouldn’t want those who loved him to remain in despair.

“Jakolbi would want justice. He would want the shooter found, and we should not stop until the shooter is found,” she said. But “he would want you to do your part to assure your potential destiny.”

Taylor’s outsized personality, natural charisma and commitment to the people who mattered most to him was evident on his social media pages, where some of his posts would get more than 300,000 likes.

“I thank the Lord for my nephew, Jakolbi, because I’ve never met any young man like that, and it’s just been wonderful watching him grow up,” his aunt Gail Thompson said.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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