A 15-year-old was found dead and a Columbia man is charged with murder, police say
A teenager is dead and a Columbia man has been charged with murder and other crimes, the Lexington Police Department said Sunday.
Lavon Bernard Julius, 42, was arrested overnight for his role in the shooting death of a 15-year-old male, police said in a news release.
Zeloni Canyus Ellison, of Lexington, died at the scene after he was shot multiple times in the upper body, the Lexington County Coroner’s Office said.
At about 10:45 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a report of shots fired at 301 Roberts St., according to the release. That’s the Town & Country Apartments which are near Main Street in downtown Lexington, about half a mile from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department headquarters in a government complex.
When officers arrived, they found Ellison’s body outside near the parking lot, police said.
In addition to murder, Julius was charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said.
No bond has been set for Julius, who is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, jail records show.
Information about what led investigators to arrest Julius, and where he was taken into custody, was not available.
There is no word on a motive for the shooting.
In addition to police and the coroner’s office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is assisting with the investigation.
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This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 10:18 AM.
