The Columbia Police Department announces that a suspect charged in connection with the weekend shooting outside of the Empire Supper Club will remain in jail under a federal detainer.
Maleik Houseal (DOB: 5-30-1995) is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center (ASGDC).
In working with federal law enforcement partners, the federal detainer has been placed on Houseal by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Houseal has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). All charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
CPD continues to partner with local and state police agencies on the investigation.
In court this morning, and in addition to the federal detainer, a judge set Houseal’s bond at $50,000 on the following charges: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Crime of Violence.
Other Suspects:
John Bates, Junior (DOB: 6-2-1989) remains in jail after a judge denied bond on the following charges:
Seven Counts of Attempted Murder, Possession of a Weapon during the Commission of a Violent Crime and Possession of a Weapon by a Person Convicted of a Violent Crime.
Keveas Gallman (DOB: 5-27-1989) is also in jail after a judge denied bond on the following charges:
One Count of Attempted Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Pistol, Possession of a Weapon during the Commission of a Violent Crime.
In the meantime, co-defendant Jarvis Tucker (DOB: 8-29-1991) charged with Accessory After the Fact of a Felony was released yesterday from the ASGDC under a $250,000 bond.
Additional arrests are possible in connection with the shooting which injured eight people on September 16, 2017.
While an exact motive for the crime remains under investigation, CPD believes the shooting was an intentional act between two groups of people with an existing grudge against the other, and not a random act of violence against the public.
“The people who are perpetrating these violent crimes haphazardly shoot at intended targets. That’s a troubling trend especially when we recover multiple shell casings from multiple guns. We always say, ‘bullets don’t discriminate,’ Police Chief Skip Holbrook said.
The Victims’ Conditions:
CPD has a victim advocate assigned to the investigation. As of today, three victim
s remain in critical but stable condition; one is stable, while three others have been released from Palmetto Health Richland Hospital. (And Houseal was released from the hospital yesterday).
Vehicles of Interest:
Columbia Police investigators still want to locate two vehicles of interest in connection with the shooting; a black, 2006 BMW 3-Series with South Carolina plate NLB-507. (Picture attached, not actual car) and a dark, newer model Ford Mustang with paper tags.
Hours after the early Saturday morning shooting, Police Chief Skip Holbrook declared the Empire Supper Club a public nuisance and revoked the business license. The grounds for this revocation are found in Section 8-31 (c) 5 of the City of Columbia’s Code of Ordinance.
Empire Supper Club Meeting:
Yesterday morning, Chief Holbrook met with the owner of Empire Supper Club, Joe Stovall, and his attorney, Bakari Sellers.
The parties engaged in a professional, yet frank, discussion regarding the current situation as well as the circumstances regarding the shootings this weekend.
Stovall proposed specific steps he was willing to make to ensure the safety of the public and his customers if allowed to remain in operation.
These steps are currently being reviewed by officials with the police department, as well as other city departments to ensure that the business is complying with and conforming to all applicable City ordinances, licensing and zooming requirements.
Crimestoppers:
Citizens with information about the shooting are encouraged to contact Crimestoppers in any of the following ways:
CALL toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC.
TEXT to CRIMES (274637), and mark the beginning of the message with “TIPSC,” followed by the tip information.
LOG onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.
