Columbia man murdered three people at Lexington County apartment, sheriff says
A Columbia man was arrested Saturday for murdering three men in an apartment earlier in the week, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.
Justin Tyler Ellaree Hopkins was taken into custody following a traffic stop, the sheriff’s department said Sunday in a news release.
The 21-year-old was charged with three counts of murder, unlawful carrying of a pistol, first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release.
The shooting occurred at about 11 a.m. Dec. 17, inside an apartment in Woodland Village, which is on Butternut Lane, the sheriff’s department said on Twitter. That is just off Bush River Road, near the junction with Interstate 20 at Exit 63.
“Detectives have been working nonstop on this case since we first responded to the scene on Butternut Lane Tuesday morning,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. “Witnesses told them they had seen Hopkins near the apartment before the incident and running away from the scene after the shooting.”
Two men were killed at the scene and a third victim was taken to an area hospital where he died, Capt. Adam Myrick told The State.
A fourth man escaped the apartment and called 911 about 11 a.m., according to the sheriff’s department.
Investigators found physical evidence linking Hopkins to the crime scene after they searched his home Saturday, the sheriff’s department said.
While investigators were in Hopkins’ home, deputies pulled him over in a traffic stop on St. Andrews Road, according to the release.
“He had a handgun in his possession and provided an alibi for the time of the shooting that was quickly disproven,” Koon said.
Hopkins has been taken to the Lexington County Detention Center where he was denied bond, jail records show.
The men who died at the scene were Branton T. Booker, 28, and Sheldon D. Livingston, 26, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.
The third man who died at the area hospital was identified as Duwan E. Williams, 27, according to Fisher.
All three men, who were residents of the apartment, died from multiple gunshot wounds to their upper bodies, the coroner’s office said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 3:00 PM.
