Two more teens charged with murder after three were killed in shooting, SC sheriff says
Two more teenagers were charged with murder, and other crimes, following the shooting where three Columbia teenagers were killed Sunday afternoon, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy whose name is not being released because of his age, was taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s department. He was charged with three counts of murder, and single counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of handgun under the age of 18, the sheriff’s department said.
His arrest came after 17-year-old Karlos Damon Gibson was taken into custody Monday in connection with the shooting where three teens died and a fourth was injured, Sheriff Leon Lott said in a news release.
Like the 14-year-old, Gibson was charged with three counts of murder, and single counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of handgun under the age of 18, according to the release.
Gibson was taken into custody without incident and was taken to the Alvin S. Glen Detention Center, the sheriff’s department said.
Earlier Monday, 17-year-old Jahkeem Griffin was also charged with three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the sheriff’s department.
Griffin and Gibson will be tried as adults, but the 14-year-old will go to family court where a judge will decide if he will be tried as an adult, the sheriff’s department said.
On Sunday, deputies were called to the 200 block of Saddletrail Road in the north part of Columbia and found four teenagers with gunshot wounds. They were taken to an area hospital, where three of them died.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford identified the deceased as Dre’von Riley, 17; JaKobe Fanning, 17; and Caleb Wise, 16. They were students at Eau Claire High School, according to Richland School District 1.
The fourth victim, also a 14-year-old, was treated for injuries and released, the sheriff’s department said.
The shooting stemmed from a burglary that happened two years ago and the teens have been squabbling since, according to the sheriff’s department. Information about the burglary, what was stolen, who was involved and who was targeted, was not available.
The shooting is not believed to be gang related, the sheriff’s department said.
“This cannot continue, we are losing our teens to violence everyday,” Lott said in a release, “We need to come together as a community to address this issue; guns are never the solution.”
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This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 7:44 AM.
