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.
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.
