Armed, dangerous man wanted after two killed in shooting at Columbia store, cops say
A search is underway for an armed and dangerous man who is wanted following the shooting deaths of two men in the parking lot of the Motor City Market in north Columbia Saturday, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
On Sunday, the sheriff’s department identified James Jamar Toatley, 31, as a man wanted in connection to the shooting. He is considered armed and dangerous, according to the sheriff’s department.
Toatley is wanted on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder for shooting into a vehicle with four passengers, the sheriff’s department said Monday.
The shooting happened at about 2:40 a.m. outside the 24-hour convenience store at 5601 Fairfield Road, the sheriff’s department said. That’s about a mile from Interstate 20, between the Greenview and Denny Terrace neighborhoods.
Before the shooting, Toatley and two patrons of the store argued, deputies said.
Attempting to defuse the situation, the two patrons headed for their car, where two other people were waiting, but Toatley began shooting at them before running away from the scene, according to the sheriff’s department.
When deputies were called to the scene, they found one man dead and another wounded, according to the sheriff’s department. Paramedics rushed the wounded man to the hospital, where he died, the sheriff’s department said.
Two of the passengers — a man and a woman — were not injured by gunfire, according to the sheriff’s department.
Initially, deputies said they were looking for two people who ran from the scene, but have only identified Toatley as a shooter.
Anyone who has seen Toatley, or has information about him, is warned not to approach him but is asked to immediately call 911, or report it to CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
Prior to the shooting, Toatley was out on a $90,000 surety bond after an Aug. 23 arrest on a second-degree domestic violence charge.
He was accused of assaulting his girlfriend who was pregnant with his child by kicking her in the stomach, grabbing her neck, and hitting her, according to an incident report from the sheriff’s department.
In 2006, Toatley was arrested on weapons crimes for the sale or delivery of a pistol, but the charges were disposed without being prosecuted in 2011, Richland County court records show.
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This story was originally published December 19, 2020 at 10:49 AM.
