Report: Richland County teen was asked if he ‘had any weed,’ then was shot
Richland County deputies are investigating the shooting of a teenager on Thursday.
Just before 7:30 p.m., the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was called about a shooting near the 9400 block of Wilson Boulevard. That’s off Interstate 77 at the end of Killian Road near Palmetto Palms mobile home park and a convenience store.
The 15-year-old male victim told deputies he was standing behind a residence when another male approached him wearing a mask and hood and asked if the teen “had any weed,” according to an incident report. When the teen said no, the masked person pulled what looked like a Glock handgun and fired. He shot the teen “multiple times in the upper and lower body” and ran away, deputies said. The victim was able to make it back into a house.
When deputies arrived, they spoke to the teen inside the home. Police K-9s were called out to track the shooter but couldn’t find him. Paramedics took the teen to the hospital, where he’s still admitted. The teen’s condition has not been reported by authorities.
Deputies will provide more information when it becomes available, the department said.
The Midlands area has experienced a rash of shootings since late November. At least nine shootings with nine killed and three injured have occurred in December.
In north Columbia, a man was shot and killed after a funeral on Dec. 21 in what Columbia Police Department called a retaliatory gang shooting after a person was killed earlier in the month. The day before in Lexington, a person shot another at a company’s holiday party, police said. On Dec. 17 in Lexington County, a gunman killed three and injured another at an apartment complex, according to deputies.
The sheriff’s department is asking anyone with information about the Wilson Boulevard shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-274-6372 or visit midlandscrimestoppers.com and click “Submit a Tip.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 10:27 AM.