Police say man wanted in West Columbia shooting should be considered armed, dangerous

West Columbia Police are reaching out for community assistance in finding a man wanted for murder.

The authorities are looking for Damien Lavar Ritter, 25. Ritter is wanted for murder stemming from a shooting incident that occured on Thursday in West Columbia.

Ritter is described as a 5' 4" black male of about 160 lbs. He may be driving a reddish color 2007 Chevy Tahoe with South Carolina tags that read 8839LW.

West Columbia authories are calling Ritter armed and dangerous. Anyone who has information on Ritter should contact the West Columbia Police Department at (803) 794-0721 or Midlands Crimestoppers at 1- 888- CRIME-SC. For additional information contact Assistant Chief Scott Morrison at (803) 939-3187.

On Thursday, a shooting occurred at the New Brookland apartment complex on the 900 block of Glenn Street, according to West Columbia Police Department Assistant Chief Scott Morrison. Two people were hospitalized after being shot in the incident that occurred after 2 p.m., Morrison said.

Samir Bernard Atkins, 26, of West Columbia suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.

Fisher said one of the other people shot is "reportedly in critical condition, while the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries."

No information on the motivation for the shooting has been released. The shooting is being investigated by the West Columbia Police Department.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Police say man wanted in West Columbia shooting should be considered armed, dangerous."