COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia's police chief said his officers are looking for the person or persons responsible for shooting to death a little boy and wounding his older sister in their home.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook gave an update on the shooting that happened around 11 p.m. Monday at a house on Tarragon Drive in the Capital Heights neighborhood in Columbia.
"We're mad, angry," a visibly upset Holbrook said.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts identified the boy as 7-year-old Knowledge Sims.
Holbrook said they got a 911 call of a shooting at the location. When they got there they found Sims with a gunshot wound to the upper body and his sister, who's 13 years old, with an injury to her arm. The victims were both taken to Prisma Health Richland.
Sims died at the hospital. The sister had surgery on her arm and is in stable condition.
Holbrook said it appears one or two suspects fired about 12 rounds into the house. Investigators believe the bullets were fired from two different handguns. At the time of the incident, 9 people were inside the home: a grandmother, a mother, and 7 children.
Investigators don't yet know the motivation for the shooting or why the home was targeted. The chief is appealing to the public for help, saying someone out there knows who did this and where the weapons are.
"Help us bring the people responsible for this cowardly act to justice," he said. "We're appealing to your heart...If the murder of a 7-year-old doesn't put a lump in your throat and tear at your heart, I don't know what will."
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and members of city council were at Holbrook's announcement. The mayor said the child went to Burton Pack Elementary. "Step up right now and give this child and his family justice," he urged.
The mayor also said he couldn't understand why with the pandemic going on there were still "jacka--es" out there committing crimes such as this one.
Columbia police have asked for tips to be sent to Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. People can also call the ATF tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS. People who call that tipline could be eligible for up to a $25,000 reward.