After being freed on bond, one of the suspects who reportedly started shooting at a South Carolina retail mall as part of a shootout that harmed 14 people will be permitted to get back to work with an ankle monitor while on house arrest.
In connection with the shooting in Columbia’s Columbiana Centre mall, Jewayne Price, 22, was arrested and accused of unlawfully carrying a firearm on Sunday.
According to Columbia police, a judge agreed to allow Price to go on a $25,000 guarantee bond. He is presently under house arrest with an ankle monitor and may go to work at specific times, though officials have not disclosed where he works.
Todd Rutherford, Price’s attorney, agreed on Sunday that his client shot a revolver at the mall, but claimed it was in self-defense. Rutherford stated that Price was only prosecuted because he did not have a licence to carry a firearm. Price is one of three people detained as a result of the incident. According to authorities, the other two males were released once it was discovered that they were not involved.
The victims of Saturday’s shooting varied in age from 15 to 73. While endeavoring to escape the mall for safety, nine individuals were shot and five others were injured, including broken bones, lacerations, and a brain injury.
Three mass shootings occurred in the United States over the Easter weekend, two of which occurred in South Carolina and resulted in two deaths. Authorities in South Carolina are investigating a shooting at a nightclub early Sunday that injured at least nine individuals. At least 31 people were injured in a shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that killed two youngsters early Sunday.
Price was arrested on Sunday and was kept at the Lexington County Detention Center until his bond hearing at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at 2 p.m. He was subsequently freed and will be required to wear an ankle monitor. Price’s attorney stated on Sunday that his client was given a comparatively low $25,000 bail since he was cooperating with investigators.
According to police, the authority has ordered Price to go from home to work during specific hours every day and has barred him from reaching the victims or anybody else associated in the shooting event.
Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook stated that officials are still seeking for two additional individuals who are suspected of being involved in the shooting. They don’t think this was random. The officers believe they knew each other and that something triggered the shooting.
Price was apprehended after being recognised as one of three individuals of suspicion in Saturday’s shooting at Columbiana Centre.
Daniel Johnson, a shopper, said he and his family were sitting in the food court when they heard bullets and saw individuals fleeing. People were shouting for their children and wives, according to Johnson, and fleeing by knocking over tables in the food court.
A preliminary review of ballistic data gathered at the site revealed that two suspects utilised at least two distinct guns. The shooting, according to police, was an isolated occurrence between the suspects and was most likely the result of an ongoing quarrel. Price was accused of unlawfully carrying a firearm after turning himself in on Sunday, and his handgun was seized.
Residents of South Carolina who are 21 or older can obtain a weapon permit, which permits them to carry guns openly or hidden as of last year. Two suspects made advantage of them. They should complete eight hours of firearms instruction and pass a background verification, which incorporates fingerprinting.
Price’s counsel stated that he lawfully possessed his pistol, despite the fact that he did not have a licence to carry it. Price had previously been arrested and accused in association with the homicide of 17-year-old Amon Rice, who was shot to death in Hopkins, South Carolina, in 2018. It is unknown if those charges have been dropped.
The Columbiana Centre stated in a statement that the present solitary, senseless act of violence is tremendously heartbreaking, and their hearts go out to everyone affected. They appreciate their security team’s speedy response and ongoing support, as well as their law enforcement partners.
