Police looking for two who shot and robbed two others near West Columbia Sunday

Lexington County sheriff's deputies are searching for two men who shot and robbed two others Sunday night, according to department officials.

Maj. John Allard, a department spokesman, said deputies responded to a location on Dubbs Avenue near West Columbia in reference to a shooting at about 9:15 p.m.

Allard said when deputies arrived at the location they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds to the lower torso. The men, both from West Columbia, are ages 39 and 49.

The two were taken to a local hospital where they received treatment for their wounds. The 39-year-old was listed in stable condition on Monday, while the 49-year-old was released from the hospital Sunday night, Allard said.

The men were unable to provide detectives with a detailed physical description of the suspects who shot and robbed them but described the two as African-American men said to be driving a white, four-door vehicle, Allard said.

Detectives from the sheriff’s department and the West Columbia Police Department are conducting a joint investigation to determine whether the two were the same suspects involved in armed robberies of Hispanic men reported to the police department in February and March. In each of those robberies, detectives think the victims were targeted because they are Hispanic.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department at (803) 785-8230 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (888)-CRIME-SC.

Mindy Lucas contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 30, 2015 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Police looking for two who shot and robbed two others near West Columbia Sunday."