Man who shot at police on busy Columbia street sentenced on federal charge
The man who brought part of South Carolina to a standstill three years ago when he opened fire while walking down a busy road was recently convicted on a federal charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Brandon Chanell Joyner, a 29-year-old Columbia resident, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm during a 2023 shooting on Greystone Boulevard in Columbia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
Joyner was previously sentenced to 25 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison after pleading guilty to 10 state charges of attempted murder.
The state and federal prison sentences will run concurrently, according to the release.
Shots fired
The convictions are connected to the July 18, 2023, incident when Joyner was walking near the intersection of Greystone Boulevard and Stoneridge Drive shortly after 11:30 a.m., and started shooting into the air before firing at law enforcement officers who responded to the gunfire, the Columbia Police Department previously said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene — which was blocked for hours including the I-126 exit for Greystone Boulevard — as police were joined by members of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Joyner was shot in the upper body by a Columbia police officer during the incident and was taken to jail after being released from an area hospital. But not before he tried to fool law enforcement.
After getting shot in the back, Joyner retreated to his hotel room where he changed clothes then exited the room before he made contact with police and told them he was an innocent bystander, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the release.
Officers determined Joyner was the shooter and immediately placed him under arrest, according to the release.
Law enforcement recovered a 9mm pistol from the parking lot of the hotel where Joyner was staying and Joyner’s DNA was found on the gun, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Testing showed the casings recovered at the scene matched casings from the firearm recovered from the hotel, according to the release.
Immediate aftermath
Two officers were injured in the incident.
One officer injured his knee while running toward the crime scene, and the other received “a small nick” while attempting to locate Joyner, according to police. Both officers were examined by medical personnel and cleared, police said.
No other injuries were reported, and there was no word on a motive for the shooting.
At least one police car was shot multiple times, according to Columbia Deputy Chief Melron Kelly.
Criminal history
Joyner has previous felony convictions that prevent him from lawfully possessing a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Joyner has a criminal record that dates back to 2014, according to a background check obtained by The State. Court records show he has been convicted of multiple misdemeanor and felony offenses including disorderly conduct, burglary and assault and battery.
In 2022, Joyner was charged with publicly discharging a firearm in Greenwood and possessing a weapon as a convicted felon. He received bond on those charges and the case’s disposition remains pending.
Kelly said that Joyner is a “documented gang member” who is on probation and is prohibited from carrying a weapon.
Federal conviction
U.S. District Judge Joseph Anderson sentenced Joyner to the maximum sentence, 180 months in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the release. That will be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision, according to the release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The federal case was investigated by the ATF, SLED, Columbia police and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case. Public Defender and Columbia attorney Kathleen Warthen was previously listed as Joyner’s lawyer, Richland County court records show.
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This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 1:17 PM.
