Manhunt for gunman after man is killed in Lexington County, sheriff says

A search for a gunman is underway after a Columbia man was found shot to death on Sunday morning, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.

James R. Metze, 51, died at the scene after he was shot in the upper body, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said.

Metze’s body was discovered at a home in the 800 block of Meadowfield Road, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. That’s in the Gaston area, near U.S. 321/Main Street.

There was no word how the sheriff’s department learned about the shooting.

Metze and his killer likely knew each other, according to the release.

“We have no reason to believe this was a random act,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. “Based on the information we’ve gathered at the scene, the victim likely had some sort of association with the shooter. They knew each other on some level or had some type of connection.”

No other injuries were reported by the sheriff’s department.

There is no word on a description of the shooter, or a motive for the gunfire.

The sheriff’s department said they don’t believe the gunman’s a threat to the community.

“Crime scene investigators are at the home collecting potential evidence,” Koon said. “Detectives are talking to neighbors and witnesses to piece together the sequence of events that led up to the shooting and see if any of that can help us find the shooter.”

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published June 27, 2021 at 1:14 PM.

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