Gunman arrested after firing shots, barricading self inside West Columbia hotel, police say
A gunman who shot at officers during a six-hour standoff at a West Columbia hotel was taken into custody Tuesday night, according to police.
Officers closed roads near the Hilton Garden Inn at 110 McSwain Drive during the standoff, according to the West Columbia Police Department.
The incident started at 1 p.m. when police responded to a domestic violence call at the hotel, according to a statement from West Columbia police. After speaking to a female, police moved to the fifth floor to speak to the man, who police identified as Jonathan Russell Saylor, 34.
The man shut the hotel room door and threatened to shoot officers. “Mr. Saylor then shot rounds through the door and shot several rounds within the room,” according to the police statement.
West Columbia police requested assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Saylor broke through his hotel room window “and began firing at approaching law enforcement,” according to the statement.
During the standoff, police used the West Columbia Police Department’s drone and SLED’s robots. Saylor was taken into custody at about 7:20 p.m.
The police statement did not provide a hometown for Saylor nor indicate charges filed against him. The statement did not indicate that any officers were injured.
West Columbia Police Chief Marion Boyce said the suspect was taken to a hospital for injuries but was expected to survive, according to WLTX-TV. Boyce did not say how the man was injured, according to WLTX.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 3:04 PM.