Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook encourages citizens to call CRIMESTOPPERS with information about the suspect (s) who shot and killed a 15-year-old male earlier this month.
As the investigation continues, the young victim’s father is also making a heartfelt plea to the public to assist CPD with the case.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts identified the victim as Jalen Qadir Islam. An autopsy showed that Islam died from a gunshot wound to the torso.
Initially, CPD officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at the 2100 block of Slighs Avenue at approximately 11:30 p.m. on August 12, 2019. Upon arrival to the scene, officers discovered that a vehicle crashed into a tree with a male driver was suffering from significant injuries.
After requesting EMS, responding officers realized that the victim had been shot. EMS pronounced Islam deceased on the scene.
At the time of the incident, Islam was operating a vehicle that was reported stolen from Florence, South Carolina. The vehicle was seized by officers for processing. Crime scene investigators also collected ballistic evidence from the incident location.
The young victim’s father, Qadir Abdul Islam says that his son was close to his siblings and parents, adding that the shooting suspect has caused a tremendous amount of grief to the family. “Whoever did this put a really big hurt and a void in our hearts,” he says.
Islam says, “He’s my son and he was a very special individual. He had his ups and downs but he didn’t deserve to be taken at such a young age. I never thought that he would die this way. He’s supposed to bury me. I’ve cried every day. I need some understanding – why did this happen? I wish I had the answers. I don’t want anyone’s child to die because of gun violence. I know it was a cowardly act. If they did that, why don’t they allow their presence to be known? And now, they want to run and hide. If you were his friend and knew about what happened, and you’re not coming forward, that’s worse.”
Citizens with information about the incident are encouraged to contact CRIMESTOPPERS in any of the following ways:
CALL toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC.
LOG onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.
DOWNLOAD the new P3 Tips App for Apple or Android devices.