Crime & Safety
2 Suspected in Richland County Shootings Arrested at Funeral
Richland deputies arrest two in connection with several shootings in Lower Richland and Columbia.
Richland County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men in connection with several shootings in Lower Richland and Columbia after receiving a tip that the men would be attending a funeral with weapons.
Deputies arrested Isaac Watson, 19, and Shamari Jones, 19, on Tuesday after responding to a tip that several gang members would be armed and attending a funeral at Bible Way Baptist Church on Atlas Road, Sheriff Leon Lott said in a release.
Watson was charged with probation violations and Jones is charged with two counts of unlawful carrying of a pistol.
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Deputies caught Watson and Jones as they entered the parking lot of the church in an SUV armed with pistols, Lott said.
Both Watson and Jones were allegedly involved in the August 2 shooting in the Candlelite subdivision in Lower Richland County, the shootings on July 25 and August 1 in the Candlelite subdivision, and one inside the city of Columbia on August 7.
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The shootings are connected to gang activity, Lott said, and will not be tolerated by the community or the sheriff’s department.
“The community and Department are at war with the gangs and will win the fight against their behavior and what they represent,” Lott said in the release.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
