Shooting leaves 16-year-old dead and sheriff searching for answers

A teenager is dead after he was shot late Thursday afternoon in eastern Richland County, authorities said.

The shooting occurred at about 4:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of Horrell Hill Road. The 16-year-old male died at a hospital after being wounded in the upper body, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Friday.

Authorities did not announce an arrest or name the victim, saying they are investigating and will release details when the sheriff’s department learns more.

The shooting happened in a working-class community off Lower Richland Boulevard in the Hopkins area southeast of Columbia.

Officials with the Richland County Coroner’s Office did not immediately return calls to verify a television report that identified the victim.

Anyone with information on the shooting can contact CrimeStoppers.

This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 11:08 AM.

Sammy Fretwell

The State

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Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537. Support my work with a digital subscription