20-year old murdered two relatives, held others hostage, Richland County Sheriff says
A 20-year-old man was charged with murder after two of his relatives were found dead, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
Deputies were responding to a shots fired call Saturday morning when they discovered the bodies of a man and woman, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
The bodies were found at about 8:15 a.m. in a home in the 4500 block of Robney Drive, according to the release. That’s near the 4400 block of Bluff Road in Columbia.
During the investigation the sheriff’s department said a woman called and told deputies she was taken hostage by a relative she identified as Ontrell Dashuan Martin.
The woman said she escaped near Bluff Road after the 20-year-old Martin took her, and another woman hostage, and killed two other relatives, according to the release.
The sheriff’s department said Martin physically assaulted the second woman, and she was treated for her injuries at an area hospital.
Information on her condition was not available.
Sometime after 4 p.m., Martin was found in Lexington County, where he was arrested without incident, according to the release.
He was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and charged with two counts of murder, jail records show. He’s being held without bond, according to jail records.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office will publicly identify the the shooting victims after notifying next of kin.
Information on a possible motive for the shooting and attack was not available.
More charges are possible as the shooting remains under investigation by the sheriff’s department.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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