RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Department is continuing to investigate a shooting in Eastover that left 22 year-olds Dominic Goodwin and Xavier Hopkins dead and one more injured, which Sheriff Leon Lott said today was 'payback' for an unsolved murder in the Columbia Police Department's jurisdiction that happened years ago.
The RCSD Tuesday announced the arrest of three additional suspects in the double homicide, which happened on July 9 at the 300 hundred block of Hickory Ridge Drive. 17-year-old Nycoreian James was arrested on July 26 and is being tried as an adult, according to the RCSD. Two more 16-year-old suspects were arrested on August 5. The first suspect another 16-year-old, was arrested earlier in July.
The Sheriff's Department says all four suspects are charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime, and Possession of a Firearm Under 18.
Double homicide is an example of 'street justice'
Sheriff Leon Lott said Wednesday the shooting stemmed from an unsolved murder in the Columbia Police Department's jurisdiction. Neither the RCSD or the CPD have released details on that murder, but the RCSD says the victim of the unsolved murder is the brother of one of the 16-year-old suspects in the Hickory Ridge Shooting.
"I guess if anything you wanna say it's payback. That's what they feel like, it's street justice." said the Sheriff. "Street justice is gonna get you one of two places. Either in the cemetery or in prison. That's what we're seeing here."
The Sheriff said they're still investigating how the teenage suspects got their hands on guns to carry out the shooting, but often times these guns make it onto the street after being left out, for example in someone's unlocked car. He says for those thinking of engaging in retaliation like this, the Sheriff's Department is going to catch them.
"You’e gonna get arrested, we’re going to catch you. You’re not going to get away with it," said Sheriff Lott. "You’ve got two young men who are dead and you have four other young men who are arrested so that’s six lives right there plus you had another one shot so that’s persons life is never gonna be the same too."
Residents relieved that suspects caught
Residents in the Hickory Ridge neighborhood in Lower Richland said today that they don't believe the victims lived in the neighborhood, but that it can be scary to be out.
Kabria Miller says she doesn't go outside anymore because she worries for her safety.
"It's from my car to my house," Miller says. She's says she's glad the suspects have been arrested.
"Getting their guns off the street and stuff like that—makes it less likely to happen to someone else," said Miller.
All four suspects are being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the RCSD. The Sheriff says his department plans to help the CPD investigate the unsolved murder that is connected to the double homicide.