At least 12 people were wounded this Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina, with ten of those injuries caused by gunfire, according to the Columbia Police Department. The chaotic scene unfolded at the Columbiana Centre Mall and prompted a fast response from local law enforcement.
The incident took place on mall premises after an isolated confrontation among several armed suspects escalated into violence. Authorities eventually arrested three individuals in connection with what investigators described as a targeted clash rather than a random act of violence.
We believe the armed individuals were known to one another, and the events stemmed from an ongoing dispute among them. It did not appear that a stranger approached the mall with the intent to shoot indiscriminately, according to statements attributed to William Holbrook, the chief of the Columbia Police Department.
Nine of the 12 wounded were discharged from hospitals as the situation evolved. Two victims remained in critical but stable condition, according to updates provided by Prisma Health to CNN.
Additionally, two injuries were caused by crowd-related stampedes rather than gunfire, Holbrook noted during a press briefing after the event.
Columbia police established a hotline for eyewitness accounts and requested anyone who captured video of the shooting to come forward with information.
Police urged the public to remain calm, take time to gather thoughts, and contact authorities if they witnessed anything related to the incident. The department communicated through social media to reassure residents and gather additional details from those with information.