Teen and 20-year-old charged with murder, Richland County sheriff says

Both a young woman and male teen have been charged with the murder of a 21-year-old man, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

Naia Lawson, 20, and Dorian Gossette, 18, were each charged with murder following a May 20 drive-by shooting, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

Gossette was also charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, jail records show.

Columbia’s Shantarius Thompson was killed in the shooting that happened in the 2100 block of Kathleen Drive, the sheriff’s department said. That’s in the St. Andrews area of Columbia, near Exit 65 on Interstate 20, the connection with Broad River Road.

That night, Thompson got to Kathleen Drive and said he was being followed, according to the news release. Shortly after, he was hit by gunfire from a vehicle that drove past, the sheriff’s department said.

It was about 11 p.m. when deputies arrived and found Thompson had been shot in the upper body, according to the release.

He was taken to an area hospital where he died, the sheriff’s department said.

No other injuries were reported.

Investigators determined the shooting stemmed from a domestic situation involving Thompson and Lawson, according to the release. Further information on the nature of their relationship was not available.

Lawson and Gossette were both taken into custody without incident on Sunday, June 13, the sheriff’s department said.

Both are being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, and bond was not set for either Lawson or Gossette, jail records show.

This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 10:54 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

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