Crime & Courts

Victim of West Columbia shooting identified as police search for shooter

The West Columbia Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting on Wednesday and searching for two people authorities believe were involved in the killing.

Police were called at about 4:30 p.m. about a shooting at a house on the 700 block of Shull Street, the department said. There they found a man shot in the upper body.

The Lexington County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 35-year-old Frankie Orlando Gardner of West Columbia. He was shot once in the upper body and pronounced dead at the scene, the office said.

West Columbia Police Chief Marion Boyce said in a statement released at about 6 p.m. Wednesday that investigators are searching for two people involved in the shooting but did not identify them. Investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that the public is not in danger.

The West Columbia Police Department asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the department at (803) 794-0721 or to submit a tip to midlandscrimestoppers.com.

This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 7:43 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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