A 20-year-old man has been arrested in the Dec. 29 shooting death of another man at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant at 274 Harbison Blvd.
Gonzales Wardlaw was charged with murder in the death of Thomas T. Hoefer, and the two probably knew each other, Columbia police said Thursday.
Wardlaw was also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
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When Columbia police officers arrived at the scene of shooting around 9 p.m. Dec. 29, they found a man lying in the parking lot.
Hoefer had apparently stepped away from a family gathering to talk with Wardlaw when Hoefer was shot, Columbia police chief Randy Scott said.
Police believe Hoefer was waiting to eat when he was shot.
"The investigation continues, including determining a motive for the shooting," Scott said.
Wardlaw is in custody at the Lexington County Detention Center.