Police investigating shooting at busy Columbia intersection
A man was shot Friday at a heavily traveled intersection that’s less than a mile from the governor’s mansion and the federal courthouse, according to the Columbia Police Department
Officers are investigating the shooting that happened near the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Park Street at about 10:30 a.m. That’s less than a mile from Interstate 126 in an area filled with gas stations, restaurants and lawyers’ offices. The Matthew J. Perry Jr Federal Courthouse is less than half a mile away on Richland Street and the governor’s mansion is about half a mile away on Lincoln Street.
The victim’s injuries do not appear to be life threatening, a police department spokesperson said.
Police cordoned off the area and redirected traffic. Investigators interviewed witnesses and were looking into surveillance video, the department said.
Columbia and Richland County have experienced a surge in gun violence this year, law enforcement leaders like Chief Skip Holbrook and Sheriff Leon Lott have been saying. They’ve urged communities to get involved with helping police stop shootings.
Richland County had 54 people shot from January to June 2, according to Lott. That’s compared to 30 people shot in the same time period last year.
Across South Carolina, violence increased from 2019 to 2020, including a 25% increase in murders, most of which are by shooting, according to the latest state crime report. Over the last five years, murders have increased 51%.
This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 12:51 PM.