Columbia, S.C. — A 14-year-old suspect has been taken into custody in connection with a devastating weekend shooting stemming from a long-standing dispute. The altercation resulted in the tragic loss of three teenagers' lives and left another injured in the state's capital, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The juvenile is now among two 17-year-old suspects, all facing charges of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. The two older individuals will be prosecuted as adults, as stated by the department. The fate of the 14-year-old suspect's case will be determined by a judge to decide whether it remains in juvenile court.
The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon when two assailants opened fire outside an abandoned residence. This heart-wrenching act claimed the lives of three students from Eau Claire High School and inflicted injuries upon a 14-year-old middle school student, officials reported. The two older suspects attended the same high school as the victims, whose ages ranged from 16 to 17 years old. The 14-year-old suspect shared the same middle school as the lone survivor, according to Deputy Veronica Hill, a public information officer for the sheriff’s department.
Sheriff’s deputies promptly responded to the shooting in Columbia, arriving just after 2 p.m. on Sunday, the department disclosed. The assailants continued to discharge rounds as they pursued the fleeing victims into the backyard, according to a redacted incident report. The attack marked an escalation in an ongoing conflict that authorities believe originated from a burglary two years prior.
While the department is withholding specific details regarding each suspect’s alleged degree of involvement, all three individuals apprehended are considered “culpable” and acted in coordination, Hill conveyed to The Associated Press.
Tragically, the three high school students succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, while the middle school student has since been released, the department announced.