Crime & Courts

Columbia police say they need tips to find shooters who killed 7-year-old

Columbia Police Department is asking the public to provide information that could lead to the arrest of gunmen who killed a boy and injured his sister.

Knowledge Sims, a 7-year-old, was killed Wednesday after two shooters fired dozens of rounds into the house on Tarragon Drive where he was staying with his mother, grandmother and six other children, according to police. The boy’s 13-year-old sister was shot in the arm and is recovering after surgery. Knowledge’s mother, grandmother and the other five children in the house were not injured.

The shooting happened about 11:30 p.m. in the Capital Heights neighborhood of north Columbia.

Police have yet to announce a motive for the crime but Police Chief Skip Holbrook said investigators are working on leads, interviewing people and looking into all theories. But as of Saturday only one tip has been received about the shooting, according to a police department statement.

Knowledge enjoyed video games, playing football and hanging out with his family, the department said.

The day after the shooting Holbrook said investigators know that people have information about the shooting — and that they also know the location of the weapons that were used.

The police are appealing to those who have information about the shooting to come forward now and call 1-888-Crime-SC or 1-888-ATF-TIPS — or to submit a tip at midlandscrimestoppers.com.

David Travis Bland
The State
David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription
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