Man was killed but woman who shot him won’t face charges, Richland County sheriff says

A man was killed Sunday but the woman who shot him won’t face any charges, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

The woman acted in self defense and the shooting was determined to be justified, Sheriff Leon Lott said Monday in a news release.

Antwan Ashley, a 41-year-old Columbia resident was identified as the man who died, according to Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford.

At about 4:20 p.m. Sunday, deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of Wynn Way, the sheriff’s department said. That’s near Broad River Road, not far from Exit 104 on Interstate 26.

When they arrived, deputies found a man, later identified as Ashley, who had been shot in the torso, the sheriff’s department said. He died at the scene, according to the release.

No other injuries were reported.

The woman was originally detained, the sheriff’s department said.

The woman, who lived on Wynn Way, had an active order of protection on file against the man, because of a history of domestic violence, the sheriff’s department said.

On Sunday, the man followed the woman to her home and aggressively approached her, then began swinging at her in an attempt to hit her, according to the release.

That’s when the woman, who the sheriff’s department called “the victim,” acted in self defense and fatally shot the man.

On Sunday, the sheriff’s department said the shooting was considered “an isolated incident and there doesn’t appear to be a threat to the public.”

This story was originally published November 27, 2023 at 9:40 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription