Three teen boys arrested in shooting that killed 3, violence stemmed from ‘stupid’ fight: Sheriff

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on September 26, 2023

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) — The Columbia, South Carolina, community is reeling in the wake of a shooting allegedly carried out by three teenagers that killed three teens and injured a fourth.

Two 17-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy have been arrested for three counts of murder, attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of handgun under the age of 18, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday.

Sunday afternoon’s shooting apparently stemmed from a previous dispute. Lott called it a fight “over something stupid” from a couple years ago.

The slain children have been identified as 16-year-old Jakobe Fanning, 17-year-old Dre’Von Riley and 16-year-old Caleb Wise, the sheriff’s office said.

The injured teenager, a 14-year-old, has since been released from the hospital, Lott said.

At a Monday news conference, the sheriff was among officials decrying the violence plaguing their community.

“Three kids are dead,” Lott said. “If that doesn’t shock you, then something’s wrong. So we gotta do something. … Now is time for action.”

“Here we are once again,” Richland County Councilwoman Gretchen Barron said.

“Young people got guns and they make poor choices. Now it’s left up to us as a community,” she said.

The sheriff did not say where the gun used in the shooting was obtained, but he said local teenagers are stealing guns from cars. He said 100 cars were broken into this weekend.

Additional security was on campus Monday at Columbia’s Eau Claire High School, where the three slain teenagers and at least one of the suspects were students, according to the sheriff and the superintendent.

“The Richland One family is grieving the loss of three young lives to senseless gun violence,” Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said in a statement. “This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we ask everyone to keep the students’ families and the students and staff at Eau Claire High School in your thoughts and prayers.”