Downtown shooting barrage sparked by man trying to steal sneakers, Columbia police say
A shooting spree in downtown Columbia on Saturday night was sparked by a man who tried to steal sneakers, police said.
The gunfire occurred just before 6 p.m. at 2401 Millwood Avenue, near Gervais Street, the Columbia Police Department said on Twitter. That is the China Hut II restaurant.
After agreeing to buy athletic shoes from a man and woman, Je’nell Montez Burton pulled a gun instead of his wallet, police said in a news release.
But it was the 23-year-old who was shot, as the man attempting to sell the sneakers was also armed and fired at Burton, according to the release.
Burton suffered non-life-threatening injuries to his hand and leg, as at least 20 rounds were fired during the shooting, police said.
Information on whether all of the shots were fired from one gun, or if there were multiple weapons being fired, was not available.
Officers were alerted by the city’s ShotSpotter technology, and when they responded, found Burton was hit by gunfire, Lt. P.T. Blendowski told The State.
After his wounds were treated at an area hospital, Burton was arrested and taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release.
No other injuries were reported in the shooting, police said.
Burton was charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and unlawful carrying of a weapon, jail records show.
He remains behind bars after his bond was set at $75,000, according to the Richland County jail’s records.
If convicted, Burton faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the armed robbery charge, a mandatory five-year sentence for the possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime charge, and one year behind bars for the unlawful carrying of a weapon charge, according to South Carolina law.
Judicial records show Burton is scheduled to appear in court on the shooting charges on Jan. 27, 2020.
In December 2016, Burton was sentenced to two years in prison on a second-degree burglary charge and a concurrent six-month sentence for possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, but was released in May 2017 for time served, court records show.
Burton served a one-day jail sentence in 2013 after he was charged for being a pedestrian on a roadway, according to judicial records.
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This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 6:36 AM.
