Man dies after being found shot in car at Columbia apartments, police say
An overnight shooting has turned into the first homicide in Forest Acres in more than six years, police said Thursday.
A Columbia man who had been shot was found behind the wheel of a car at an apartment complex Wednesday, the Forest Acres Police Department said in a news release.
The man was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died from the gunshot wound, police said.
After an autopsy, the Richland County Coroner’s Office identified the man as 30-year-old Brandon Vandyke, according to the release. The Senate Street resident was days away from his birthday on Sunday.
A search is underway for the shooter, or shooters, who killed Vandyke.
At about 5:40 p.m., officers responded to a shots fired call at The Landings at Forest Acres Apartments, police said. That’s at 3431 Covenant Road, near North Beltline Boulevard.
While police said Vandyke did not live at the apartment complex, information about how he wound up there was not available.
No other injuries were reported.
There is no word on a shooter, or shooters, or a motive for the gunfire.
In addition to processing evidence and interviewing witnesses for several hours, police brought in a K9 to search for the shooter, according to the release. Police said officers returned to the scene at 7 a.m. Thursday to search for more evidence.
“We are committed to bringing all resources to bear to solve this crime. The preventable loss of life is tragic in every city, especially in a tight-knight community like the City of Forest Acres.” Police Chief Don Robinson said in the release. “We want to stress this crime appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public at this time.”
This is the first homicide in Forest Acres since the shooting death of Officer Greg Alia on September 30, 2015, according to the release.
“Just as we worked to bring Greg’s killer to justice, we will work tirelessly with our partners to solve this crime and bring justice to the Vandyke family,” said Robinson, a former Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigator and captain who became Forest Acres chief on Monday.
Anyone who has information about 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.
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This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 12:22 PM.
