First victim of Sunday's Five Points shooting identified

A North Carolina university says one of its students was injured in an early-morning Sunday shooting in Columbia's Five Points..

St. Augustine's University in Raleigh said Sunday that Howard Boone Jr., 23, was one of three men injured in Sunday's shooting.

"The Saint Augustine's University (SAU) community is saddened to hear about the recent shooting in downtown Columbia, SC, that has critically injured one of our students," the school said in a press release.

"Howard Boone Jr. is a 23-year-old criminal justice major from Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Boone was visiting the area with friends and was an innocent victim."

Boone was one of three people injured in a shooting in Five Points about 2 a.m. Sunday. The shooting left two men in critical condition, while a third was transported from Five Points in stable condition.

Columbia police were looking for several "persons of interest" seen on surveillance footage of the area Sunday.

The university identified Boone as a member of the school's ROTC program. He received his airborne certification last year, and plans to seek a commission as a U.S. Army officer after graduation.

"The university continues to pray for Mr. Boone and his family," said college president Everett Ward. "Mr. Boone is a model student and well-respected among his peers."

Ward decried "the rising incidences of gun violence affecting our young people."

"It is time for serious dialogue to take place to address this national crisis," he said.

This story was originally published March 18, 2018 at 4:08 PM with the headline "First victim of Sunday's Five Points shooting identified."