Man charged in August shooting death at Columbia shopping center
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with an August shooting death in Columbia.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release that it arrested Taquarie Markee Weathers, 23, on Sept. 2 and charged him with murder. Jail records show that he is being held at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
At about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, Richland deputies responded to a shooting at 3315 Broad River Road, which is a shopping center that houses a number of businesses, including a Rent-A-Center, Carolina Beauty Supply and others.
Deputies found a man in the parking lot who had been shot, the sheriff’s department said in a release. The man was not responsive, and deputies tried to give him CPR, the sheriff’s department said. EMS soon arrived, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s department said its investigation led to Weathers, and he was arrested on Sept. 2.
The sheriff’s department noted there have been previous shootings involving Weathers, including a 2016 shooting at a pool at the St. Andrews Commons apartment complex. Weathers was charged with six counts of attempted murder in that case and was sentenced to six years in jail, the sheriff’s department said.
Sheriff Leon Lott expressed frustrated that a previous violent offender was allegedly involved in another shooting.
“Here we are talking about catch and release again,” Lott said in a statement. “Another life lost and that could have been avoided. Our communities need help and protection from those that refuse to respect human life.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 2:12 PM.
