Felon charged in deadly domestic-related shooting at Columbia apartments

Police have charged a convicted felon in a domestic-related shooting that killed another man at a Columbia apartment complex on Saturday.

Roderick Cornelius, 33, was arrested late Saturday night on Bon Air Drive and charged with murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, the Columbia Police Department announced just before noon Sunday.

He is accused in Saturday’s fatal shooting at North Pointe Estates on Ripplemeyer Avenue that killed another man, police say.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts on Sunday afternoon identified the victim as 29-year-old Darren D. Calhoun, of Ripplemeyer Avenue in Columbia. Calhoun was shot at the apartment around 9:35 a.m. and was taken by EMS to Prisma Health Richland, where he died just after 10 a.m.

Details about what led up to the deadly shooting are limited, but police have said it was domestic-related.

Last August, The State took an in-depth look at Ripplemeyer Avenue, which is Columbia’s most violent block.

This story was originally published January 20, 2019 at 11:55 AM.