** UPDATE **
Columbia Police Department (CPD) investigators have arrested a second male suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old female at Greene Crossing Apartments last weekend.
CPD officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Carolinas Regional Task Force located and arrested 24-year-old Dennis Williams today and charged him with Accessory After the Fact to Murder and Breach of Peace, Aggravated in Nature.
Williams is accused of witnessing the co-defendant Kejuan Boyce fire multiple rounds down a hallway inside the complex. As a result, the victim, identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office as Jamaica Dowling died.
Williams is further accused of firing a weapon at a moving vehicle in the parking lot of the incident location, and driving Boyce away from the crime scene. Williams failed to render aid to Ms. Dowling and didn’t call police to report the incident.
Recap of Suspected Shooter & Initial Arrest in Case:
The U.S. Marshals Service’s Carolinas Regional Task Force also arrested 23-year-old Kejuan Boyce and charged him with Murder & Possession of a Firearm During a Violent Crime. He was located at his home last week.
According to court documents, at the time of the fatal shooting Boyce was out on bond from an Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon charge from a March 2021 incident in Spartanburg.
Boyce is accused of fatally shooting Jamaica Dowling on March 13, 2022 during a party at 810 Pulaski Street that was initially advertised on social media.
During a news conference on March 17, 2022, Chief Holbrook said, “We’d like to express our deep sorrow and offer condolences to Jamaica’s mother, father, and family. This is another life lost to soon to gunfire. What is especially tragic is Jamaica was simply an innocent bystander caught in the middle of indiscriminate gunfire by individuals illegally carrying guns with no respect for human life and complete disregard for the consequences of their actions.”
Investigators believe that multiple people went to the party armed with firearms, handguns and what is described as assault-style weapons. Officers who were dispatched to the scene arrived to active gunfire, confusion and chaos. Partygoers ran out of the apartment in an attempt to safely leave the area. At this time, it’s believed that the shooting stemmed from an argument inside of the apartment. Investigators have combed through various surveillance video in which several people screamed and ran down a hallway.
One officer found Dowling injured in the hallway. She was conscious and alert at that time. The officer applied a tourniquet from his medical kit and rendered aid to the victim. Despite the immediate dangers he experienced, he stayed with Dowling until medical services arrived.
Officers found that four additional people were shot; their injuries were non-life threatening. (victims: 22-year-old male, 19-year-old male and two 16-year-old males).
CPD investigators are working to identify additional witnesses.
Chief Holbrook encourages citizens with information to aid the case to contact Crimestoppers in any of the following ways:
888-CRIME-SC.
LOG onto www.midlandscrimestoppers.com
Click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.