RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded to five shooting incidents on Sunday.
In the early morning hours of Sunday around 12:35 a.m., deputies say they responded to reports of shots fired at the Residence Inn hotel at 2320 Legrand Road. They were told by witnesses that there was a party taking place at a hotel room, when suddenly shots rang out from the parking lot.
Deputies later learned that a 17-year-old had been struck by a bullet that pierced through the walls. She was rushed to the hospital for treatment by family. The investigation has revealed that those involved in the shooting were partygoers. No suspect description is available at this time.
Shortly after the first incident, around 2 a.m., deputies say they responded to reports of a person suffering from a gunshot injury at Providence Health Northeast. The 23-year-old victim said he was in the 3000 block of Broad River Road earlier in the night, when he heard gunshots being fired. As he ran from the sound of gunfire, the victim said he fell after being struck in the lower body. He was taken to the hospital by family member. Deputies say he could not provide a description of the shooter.
In yet another incident, deputies responded to the corner of Fontaine and Scruggs roads to reports of a shooting around 2:15 a.m. Upon their arrival, deputies say they found a 45-year-old man suffering from a gunshot injury to the lower body.
The man said he was walking home on Fontaine Road when two men jumped out of a car and demanded he turn over his belongings. When he refused to comply, they shot him and fled. The man said he crawled to the nearest house to ask for help. No vehicle or suspect description is available at this time.
Also, on Sunday at approximately 2:15 a.m., deputies were called to a local hospital in reference to a man who had been shot.
The man said he had been at a party on Leesburg Road, where he saw someone trying to break into his truck. The victim said he confronted the would-be thief and got into a physical fight that ended with the thief pulling out a gun. The victim said he heard a pop then left the scene. On his way home, the victim said he realized he was bleeding from a gunshot injury on his lower body. A family member drove him to the hospital.
The victim described the man with the gun as a Black man in his mid-20s with twists in his hair, who was wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and a blue bandana.
Later Sunday night, at approximately 7:20 p.m., deputies were once again called to a local hospital for another gunshot victim.
The victim said he was walking near the movie theater at the Village at Sandhill when he heard a scuffle between two unknown men. Suddenly, the victim said he realized he had been shot in the lower body, and he ran and asked for help. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Deputies say there is no description of the suspected shooter at this time.
Deputies say it is unclear if any of the shootings are related. All are under investigation at this time.
If you have any information about any of these shootings, you are asked to contact Crimestoppers anonymously in any of the following ways:
- Call 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).
- Use the P3 Tips mobile app.
- LOG ON to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a Tip” tab.