Columbia 3-year-old killed in shooting identified by Richland County coroner

A 3-year-old boy died after being shot at a Columbia apartment Wednesday, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

The shooting happened at about 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Pointe apartment complex on Brighton Hill Road, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. That’s near Parklane Road, and less than two miles from the junction of Interstate 20 and S.C. 277.

Deputies responding to reports of gunfire said they were told a 3-year-old accidentally shot himself.

Witnesses at the apartment told police they heard a shot from a back room in the apartment, a deputy’s report say. A person in the home found the child shot.

Someone at the home rushed the child to an area hospital where the boy died, according to the report.

Deputies search the apartment and vehicles of people living at the house. An officer found a Glock 9mm pistol under a mattress in the bedroom, which is where a person in the house said they put the gun after the child was shot, according to the deputy’s report.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office publicly identified the child as Liam Myers. An autopsy showed the Columbia boy died as a result of a gunshot wound to the upper body, Coroner Gary Watts said.

Wyndham Pointe Apartments was not the boy’s residence, according to the coroner’s office.

Information on how the boy got the gun was not available, and the sheriff’s department said no one has been charged with any crimes — as of Wednesday night.

The 3-year-old’s death is being investigated by the sheriff’s department and coroner’s office.

This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 7:35 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription