Suspect charged in murder of Columbia man killed in motel shooting

By Makiya Seminera and Ted Clifford

Updated July 22, 2022 3:38 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C.

A man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a man was shot on July 18 in a hotel room at InTown Suites, said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott at a Friday press conference.

Darius Foster, 27, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina and charged with murder in the death of Deddrick D. Pogue, 28, Lott said.

The killing, which took place in the hotel at 8310 Two Notch Road, was the result of a “drug deal turned into a robbery,” Lott said.

Lott described the shooting as yet another example of a killing stemming from other illegal activity.

Gun violence is on the rise in the Midlands. In 2021, the sheriff’s department alone investigated 32 murders, all of them shootings. In comparison, there were 22 murders in all of Richland County in 2020.

This year, Richland County has already seen a number of high profile shootings, including one at the Columbiana Centre mall in April that injured 15 people.

Anyone with further information about the case is asked to call 911, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 2:52 PM.

Makiya Seminera

The State

Makiya (Ma-kie-ya) Seminera is a reporting intern for The State’s politics and government team. She is a rising senior at the University of Florida, graduating from The Swamp in 2023. Makiya is majoring in international studies and Arabic, and minoring in mass communications. She has served as the university administration reporter and The Avenue editor for UF’s student newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator. Makiya also serves as managing editor for Florida Political Review.

Ted Clifford

The State

803-771-8315

Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.

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