Crime & Courts

Victim identified and teen charged in fatal northeast Columbia shooting

A man is dead and a teenager is jailed after a Friday shooting in northeast Columbia.

The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. on the 4400 block of Hardscrabble Road, according to investigators. That’s just off Clemson Road near a shopping center with restaurants and other businesses. The Richland County Coroner’s Office said the shooting happened in some woods near the area.

Coroner Naida Rutherford identified the victim as 22-year-old Malik T. Gray of Columbia.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department charged 19-year-old Jordan C. White in the shooting hours later. Deputies charged him with murder, attempted murder, possessing a stolen gun and possessing a gun in a violent crime.

People called police about the shooting and a person being shot, investigators reported. When deputies arrived they found Gray shot in the lower body. Paramedics pronounced Gray dead on the scene.

Deputies jailed White at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where he remained Saturday morning.

Deputies are still investigating the shooting and asked anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 803-785-2457 or. Tips can also be reported to Crimestoppers’ website.

If convicted, White could be sentenced to life in prison.

This story was originally published September 25, 2021 at 7:00 AM.

David Travis Bland
The State
David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription
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