A Spartanburg County judge denied bond Tuesday for a 17-year-old charged in the fatal shooting of his stepfather following an early morning dispute at their home.

Deondre Smith-Jefferson, 17, appeared before a judge after investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said he shot and killed his stepfather during a disagreement Monday morning. The judge denied bond, meaning Smith-Jefferson will remain in custody as the case moves forward.

Deputies responded to a call on Thomas Alley at approximately 6:24 a.m. Monday after reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found the stepfather, whose name had not been publicly released as of the bond hearing, dead at the scene. Investigators determined the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute between the teen and the adult man.

Smith-Jefferson faces charges in connection with the killing. Because he is 17, questions about whether prosecutors will seek to try him as an adult are likely to surface as the case develops. Spartanburg County has jurisdiction over the investigation, with the Sheriff’s Office leading the inquiry.

The denial of bond keeps Smith-Jefferson detained while prosecutors and investigators build their case. Bond hearings for violent charges often hinge on public safety concerns and flight risk, and in cases involving homicide, judges frequently side with detention, particularly when the accused is a juvenile charged with a crime of this severity.

Domestic shootings involving family members present particular challenges for investigators and prosecutors. Law enforcement must piece together the sequence of events leading up to the shooting, gather physical evidence, and interview anyone who may have been present or had knowledge of ongoing tensions in the home.

Spartanburg County has seen several high-profile cases in recent years involving domestic violence and firearms, and local advocates have repeatedly called for more resources to address conflict within households before situations escalate. Whether any prior incidents or calls for service at the Thomas Alley address factored into the investigation was not immediately clear.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about the nature of the disagreement that preceded the shooting, nor have they confirmed whether anyone else was present in the home at the time. The stepfather’s identity is expected to be released once next of kin are properly notified.

Smith-Jefferson will be held pending further court proceedings. Cases involving juveniles charged with violent felonies in South Carolina can move through the family court system or, depending on the charge and circumstances, be transferred to general sessions court where defendants face adult sentencing ranges. A decision on that front typically comes later in the process, after a formal probable cause review and prosecutorial assessment.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office has not released body camera footage or additional investigative materials at this stage. Public records requests may yield further documentation as the case proceeds through the courts.

Anyone with information related to the incident on Thomas Alley is encouraged to contact the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.