COLUMBIA, S.C. — The number of murders in Columbia jumped significantly in 2019, more than double the five year average, with the city's police chief saying the majority are being committed with handguns.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook spoke to reporters Monday afternoon to give an update on the four most recent homicides in the city. Among those were the killing of a cab driver that the chief says was committed by two 14-year-olds.
Holbrook said in 2019, the number of murders in the city was totaled 25, up 67 percent from last year when there were 16. The average number of killings over the last five years is 12 homicides.
Of those this year, 20 were committed with a firearm, and he said there's been an increase in killings involving guns. Despite the grim statistic, he said 80 percent of the killings have been cleared (meaning an arrest has been made or the suspect is dead), which is above the national average of 62 percent.
Violent crime for this year was down two percent overall.
Included in the "cleared cases" are three of the four most recent killings.
December 21 | 4800 block of Norman Street | A 23-year-old man was killed after a funeral gathering for another young man in North Columbia. Holbrook said this one is unsolved, and he said despite 200 people being at the event when the killing took place, people are not coming forward with tips.
December 20 | 4100 block of Marsteller Street | A 57-year-old woman died after she was shot just off on North Main Street in Columbia.
Holbrook said her neighbor killed her as part of an ongoing dispute. They tracked him down to Fairfield County where they say he killed himself.
December 15 | 4300 block of Brookridge Drive | 53-year-old Paul Swatsell, who was working for Checker Yellow Cab company was shot and killed.
The chief said they've determined that a group of juveniles called his cab to a Waffle House on Broad River Road. Two of them then robbed and shot Swatsell.
Officers got a tip in the case, and that led them to charge two 14-year-olds with murder. More arrests are possible in the case, Holbrook said.
November 25 | 3000 block of Clark Street | A 41-year-old Columbia man who was found dead inside of a home died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
SLED analyzed crime scene evidence which led them to arrest 23-year-old Christopher Kravitz in Conyers, Georgia. They say he was a known associate of the victim, and officers believe robbery was the motive.
Holbrook said to combat crime, he said he needs to keep recruiting and retaining the best officers, people need to secure their weapons (over 300 of the more than 800 guns confiscated in the city this year were stolen) and he said prosecutors and judges must prosecute people more for gun crimes as a deterrent.
He also said the parents must keep better track of their kids, and the public needs to help report crimes and be cooperative with investigations.