Deputies find 1 dead, 1 injured in an SC neighborhood. The shooter fled
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fatal shooting just south of Columbia.
Deputies responded to a ShotSpotter alert on the 4300 block of Mellowood Drive around 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to a news release. It is in a neighborhood off of Bluff Road.
When they arrived. they found a man outside of a house with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Any suspects, officials said, fled before law enforcement got there.
While searching for evidence nearby, deputies found a second man outside of another house. He was unresponsive. After being taken to a hospital, he was pronounced dead, according to a news release.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased as Ricky J. Bates, 34, of Columbia. An investigation by the coroner’s office and sheriff’s department is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s department at 803-576-3000 or submit an anonymous tip through CrimeStoppers.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 12:05 PM.
