FORT MILL, S.C. — An armed individual was taken into custody by York County Sheriff’s deputies on Thursday, April 10, 2025, after entering the Publix Super Market at 928 Gold Hill Road and briefly locking himself in a staff office.
Additional information released by the York County Sheriff’s Office provides further detail about the April 10, 2025, arrest of Jaylen Richard Reid at the Publix Super Market on Gold Hill Road.
According to the official incident report, the Sheriff’s Office had received multiple calls over the preceding two days about a man walking near school property while armed with a rifle. On the day of the incident, a citizen identified the individual as Reid and provided a photo. Deputies confirmed Reid had an active arrest warrant and were already searching the area.
Deputies Duckett and Richard located Reid near a walking path away from the school. When ordered to stop, Reid fled across Pleasant Road and into the Publix store, where he ran through the front area and locked himself in an employee-only office.
Deputies secured the area and directed civilians away. Through a small window, officers saw Reid with his hands over his head but could not confirm the location of the firearm. After several verbal commands and a brief standoff, Reid opened the door. As deputies attempted to detain him, Reid resisted by tensing his arms and pulling away. He was taken to the ground, at which point a rifle slung across his body was secured.
A search of Reid revealed a revolver, extended magazines, and loose ammunition. He was read his Miranda rights at the scene and later transported to the York County Detention Center. Deputies recovered and entered all firearms and ammunition into evidence.
In addition to the active warrant, Reid was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm on school property, resisting arrest, and trespassing after warning.
The incident concluded without injuries, and store employees were credited for their swift action in guiding customers to safety.
The full arrest report is available here.
According to a Facebook post by Publix employee Jay Ritenbaugh, the incident occurred around 3:00 p.m. Ritenbaugh stated that the man entered the store carrying a semi-automatic weapon and proceeded directly to the manager’s computer room, where he locked the door. Employees and customers in the area were visibly alarmed.
Ritenbaugh said he had just returned from a break when a pharmacist warned him to stay in the break room. Moments later, a deputy entered looking for a key to the locked office. Ritenbaugh assisted by directing the deputy to the key’s location.
Shortly afterward, deputies were seen detaining a tall male suspect in handcuffs inside the store. The situation was resolved without injury, and customers were evacuated through the stockroom exits at the rear of the building.
The York County Sheriff’s Office later identified the individual as Jaylen Richard Reid of Fort Mill. Reid was arrested and charged with failure to stop for blue lights, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a firearm on school property, and trespassing after warning.
The Tega Cay Sun has contacted the York County Sheriff’s Office and is awaiting a copy of the official arrest report. No injuries were reported, and the store resumed normal operations following the incident.
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