Chase Stokes is mourning the death of his friend and “Outer Banks” stand-in, 22-year-old Alexander Jennings, who was killed in a hit-and-run incident early Tuesday morning. “It is with great sadness that I share on Tuesday Alexander ‘AJ’ Jennings’s mother informed me of his tragic death,” Kimmie Stewart Casting shared in a Facebook post on July 5. “Outer Banks crew & cast suffered a terrible loss when AJ was stuck by two cars, that fled the scene early this morning. AJ was a beautiful, kind soul & a bright light every day on set.”
“I wish I had more words to say right now, but the past day has been a struggle to say the least.”
On July 6, Stokes, who worked closely with Jennings, shared a tribute to the late actor and model on his Instagram Stories. “Still trying to process why certain things happen, and why the world works in the ways that it does,” he wrote. “My heart is shattered. Your life was just starting. We JUST talked about how pumped you were about your tunes, how far you’d come with that ole 6 string and your want to keep creating art. Always always making others hearts warm and being so damn selfless. I wish I had more words to say right now, but the past day has been a struggle to say the least.”
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Jennings’s death in a press release, explaining that a male pedestrian was walking in the road in North Charleston, SC, around 2:30 a.m. when he was hit by two vehicles that fled the area, according to witness testimonies. Before his death, Jennings was in the process of filming season three of “Outer Banks,” where he worked as a stand-in and photo double for Stokes’s character, John B.
“I cannot fathom the shock and tragedy of AJ’s sudden loss and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” the casting agency continued. “I understand this message may be difficult to process for those of you that met & became fast friends with AJ. . . . We will miss this amazing human & his infectious smile dearly.”
After sharing his heartbreak over the loss of his friend and colleague, Stokes added, “We all love you, you touched all of our lives and made us all better people, and for that – Thank you AJ. Fly high angel.”