Road Named After 6-Year-Old Shooting Victim

Image Courtesy: Gerald Gambrell's Facebook Page

Thanks to a highway patrol panel in South Carolina, the life of Jacob Hall, the 6-year-old who was fatally wounded in a shooting at Townville Elementary School, will be forever honored.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission unanimously approved to name a road after Jacob. The intersection of Interstate 85 and S.C. 24 in Anderson County will now be the "Jacob L. Hall Memorial Interchange", WLTX19 reported.

The measure by the department stated:

"Jacob is remembered as a child that showed those around him how to love, laugh and smile even on bad days, even though Jacob left this life at an early age, his significant impact on the lives of everyone who knew him will be forever cherished and remembered as a blessing, his death is a somber reminder of how a senseless act can affect not only a family but a community."

"The DOT joins the rest of the state in our sadness over this tragic event," SCDOT Commissioner Be Davis said Thursday morning. "My hope is that by bringing this forward, it will be one small step to help heal the community."

Rebecca Hunnicutt, Jacob's aunt, spoke on behalf of the family and said they were surprised and honored to learn about the measure, Independent Mail, a USA Today publication, reported.

"They took our boy's name and are going to make sure it lives on forever," she said. "People are going to remember Jacob, and not just for this tragedy, but for the light that his life brought into the world. We are so honored that our state sees Jacob as a hero."

According to Davis, the move to name the road after Jacob will not require separate legislation approval.