1 Five Points victim was shot in the face, another in the spine, official says

One of the victims of a weekend shooting in Five Points is on a ventilator after being shot in the face. Another remains in the hospital with a spinal injury, according to information released during a Monday hearing for the accused shooter.

Arthur Jones Jr., 22, of Hopkins, is charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting that injured three people and rocked the popular entertainment district just hours after the St. Pat's in Five Points event. He also faces a charge of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

One of the victims, 22-year-old Anfernee Kirkland, has been released from the hospital but has a lower back injury that could require future medical treatment, according to victim's advocate Tammy Woodle, who spoke during the bond hearing.

Howard Boone Jr., a 23-year-old college student from Raleigh, N.C., remains in the hospital with a spinal injury, Woodle said. The third victim, 20-year-old Kidron Amaziah Deal, from Winnsboro, was shot in the face and remains on a ventilator in the hospital, she said.

Both men remain in critical condition as of Monday.

A magistrate set bond for Jones at $3 million Monday morning.

Investigators said Jones was involved in an argument with another man before he fired multiple shots into a large crowd , striking the three innocent bystanders.

Boone attends St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, where he serves with the school's ROTC and hopes to pursue a commission in the U.S. Army.

Deal is a former wide receiver on the Fairfield Central High School football team. He graduated from the Winnsboro school in 2015.

Kirkland, an airman first class, is an armament technician at Sumter's Shaw Air Force Base with the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron. He is recuperating at his home, the air base said in a release.

"His health and safety is our top priority, and we are doing everything possible to make sure he receives the proper medical care and any other assistance he may need to successfully recover from this senseless act of violence,” said Lt Col. Casey Crabill, Kirkland's commander. “Our team is here to help him through this situation.”

During a news conference Monday to kick off Youth Violence Prevention Week, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said none of the three victims were connected to the argument. He said the availability of guns is the main factor feeding youth violence.

More than 10 Columbia police officers were patrolling Five Points at the time of the shooting, and reported hearing the gunshots prior to locating the three shooting victims.

Jones was convicted of strong arm robbery in January 2014, according to State Law Enforcement Division records. He was sentenced under the state's Youthful Offender Act to a term not to exceed six years, SLED records show.

Jones also was charged by Columbia police with domestic violence — first offense in March 2015, according to records. That charge is pending. He was released on a $2,310 bond.

Richland County court records show that Jones requested a jury trial on the domestic violence charge, and a judge continued the case last June.

He faces up to 30 years in prison on each of the attempted murder charges, if convicted.

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 10:31 AM with the headline "1 Five Points victim was shot in the face, another in the spine, official says."