NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — The family of a 16-year-old who was fatally shot at Elam Event Center in November is speaking out after someone was arrested in connection with the shooting.
Jerome Rambo Jr.'s aunt, Jania Rambo, shared the heart-wrenching impact of his loss. "I felt like I couldn't breathe. It felt like it wasn't real," she said. "He was just hear last year he was helping put up a tree."
The family believes Jerome was caught in the middle of a feud potentially linked to a Jasper prom shooting from April 2023.
"First he was with friends when he stayed with me with the Jasper guys. Then he went and started hanging with the Newton guys who had feud with the Jasper," Jania Rambo explained.
Newton County Sheriff Robert Burby confirmed an arrest, but is waiting for the man to be officially arraigned before naming him.
"The charges that we filed against him was tampering with evidence with an intent to impair which is a felony 3 and deadly conduct which is a class c misdemeanor," Burby said.
However, Jania Rambo believes the arrested individual, who was reportedly a friend of Jerome, is not the main shooter.
"He was there beside JJ but he is not the main shooter, the main murderer, that's what we know off because of the statement he told us before he got arrested. This is also statements from the streets from people that were at the club," she said.
Burby emphasized the community's role in preventing such crimes.
"The fact is if you allow something like this to happen in your community, you're really not safe. And you're the reason why. Because you're telling the person that commits these crimes that it's okay," said Burby.
Currently, the suspect is pending extradition back to Texas on outstanding warrants. The investigation remains ongoing, with Burby stating he cannot release additional information at this time.
"We're still wanting justice and missing him every day," Jania Rambo said.