Columbia Police Department (CPD) Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) investigators continue to determine the circumstances of this morning’s non-fatal, domestic-related shooting.
In addition to the shooting, the male-suspected shooter led two law enforcement agencies on a brief vehicle pursuit on Garners Ferry Road.
Initial Incident:
At approximately 11:00 a.m., CPD officers were dispatched to the 4400 block of Blossom Street (Cross Hill Apartments) for a reported domestic incident involving a weapon. When officers arrived, they learned that a female received a non-life-threatening gunshot wound in the lower body.
The male suspect drove the victim to a local hospital.
Once at the hospital, the suspected shooter allegedly made verbal threats to return to the Blossom Street home and harm juveniles inside and himself.
Having a description of the suspect’s vehicle, CPD officers located the car parked behind a business at the 4000 block of Leesburg Road, which is in Richland County’s jurisdiction. CPD officers requested assistance from RCSD deputies. As officers attempted to make contact with the suspect to effect an arrest, he drove away from the scene. Both law enforcement agencies were involved in a police pursuit with him.
The suspect was subsequently involved in a multi-vehicle collision at Garners Ferry and Hazelwood Roads intersection in CPD’s jurisdiction. The collision fatally injured a male driver and his dog. The South Carolina Highway Patrol’s (SCHP) Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) is investigating the crash.
After the collision, CPD officers and RCSD deputies detained the suspect on scene. The preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect likely shot himself in the lower body while in his vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. CPD officers seized the suspect’s firearm from his vehicle at the crash scene. The suspect was live-streaming during the initial police pursuit. At no point did law enforcement officers discharge their duty weapons.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office (RCCO) is assisting CPD with the investigation and releases names of decedents.