Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels
One person was arrested after a shooting this Saturday at the Columbiana Center mall, and at least two other suspects could face charges in this regard, reported the Police Department of Columbia, South Carolina.
Identified as Jewayne M. Price, aged 22, was charged with possession of a firearm illegal fire, authorities said in a statement. The suspect was initially arrested as a person of interest and is incarcerated at the Lexington County Detention Center and may apparently face further charges while officers consult with the Attorney’s Office of the 04° Circuit.
As last updated by Columbia Police Chief WH “Skip” Holbrook , 14 people were wounded during the mass shooting. The ages of the victims are between 14 and 73 year old.
Likewise, Holbrook said that so far there have been no deaths, but that nine people were shot and five more people were injured while trying to escape from the mall to take shelter.
The authorities said that the old man of 73 years is the only one still receiving medical treatment, but the other victims were discharged from local hospitals or will be sent home in a few hours, AP reported.
Shooting suspect Jewayne M. Price will be housed at the Lexington County Detention Center . A booking photograph of the suspect is not available at this time.
— Columbia Police Dept (@ColumbiaPDSC) April 17, 2022
Officials also reported that they are trying to identify at least two more suspects who, according to witnesses, were brandishing weapons inside the mall.
However, other suspects interviewed as persons of interest will not face any charges, police said. After an interrogation that determined that they were not related to the incident, they were released from the custody of the officers, the statement reads.
After talking With witnesses and doing a security camera check, detectives said they believe at least three suspects were seen with guns in their hands inside the mall. Although the authorities are yet to determine how many could have been the shooters, which left several people injured at the scene.
Officers found a firearm linked to the incident, while preliminary ballistic evidence indicates that two suspects used at least two different guns, says the statement.
The incident is believed to be an isolated incident between the men involved and likely stemmed from an ongoing conflict, The State reported.
“We don’t think this was random,” Holbrook said. “We assume they knew each other and something led to the shooting.”
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