23-year-old killed in Columbia following funeral for man shot to death, police say
A search is underway for the killer in a fatal shooting that occurred following the funeral for a man who was shot and killed a week earlier, the Columbia Police Department said.
Police considered Saturday night’s shooting in North Columbia to be gang related, according to a news release.
Officers reported hearing gunshots while on patrol in the Norman Street area around 10 p.m., according to the release.
While investigating the source of the gunfire, officers received a ShotSpotter alert that pinpointed the shooting to 4813 Norman St., police said. That’s near the intersection of Farrow Road and Columbia College Drive.
After arriving, officers found a 23-year-old man who had been shot outside the residence, according to the release.
He was identified as Keon Tucker by Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. Tucker died at the scene after suffering gunshot wounds to the upper body, according to the coroner’s office.
Hundreds of people had gathered on Norman Street after the funeral of Calvin Recardo Bryant, Jr., who was shot and killed on Hallbrook Drive on Dec. 15, police said. Bryant had lived on Norman Street, according to the Richland County coroner’s office.
Many people ran away when the initial gunshots were fired, according to the release.
Additional officers worked to calm down a hostile crowd after Tucker was found.
A home on Silas Brook Court was hit by gunfire, but no injuries were reported, police said.
Information on a suspect, or suspects, was not available.
The 26-year-old Bryant’s death is being investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
In 2014 Bryant was arrested after inadvertently shooting his brother in the forehead following a drug deal, The State reported. He ultimately served 366 days behind bars after being convicted of discharging a firearm into a dwelling, court records show.
“These ruthless, conscious-less trigger pullers have a complete lack of respect for themselves and others, and a disregard for the sanctity of life,” Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said in the release. “Our community should be outraged by the level of gun violence being perpetrated in our neighborhoods.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or report it to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
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This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 1:53 PM.
