COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said officers are searching for a "dangerous suspect" and have taken six others into custody from last month's dramatic shootout at a community pool in northeast Richland County.
Friday, Lott updated the investigation into the shooting that took place on May 28 at the Villages at Lakeshore community on Freshwater Drive, which is off Longtown Road.
Investigators have said dozens of young people had gathered near the pool around 6 p.m. when gunfire rang out. Multiple people fired bullets, with at least one using an assault rifle, while some had semi-automatic guns modified to make them fire fully automatic gunfire. The incident was captured on a surveillance camera, and the footage shows suspects firing their weapons and others fleeing from the scene on foot and by car. One teen was slightly wounded in the arm but is expected to recover.
Lott said as of Friday, 80 shell casings have been recovered so far. All those bullets were fired in just 22 seconds.
The sheriff said he believes the shooting erupted out of an ongoing dispute between three groups that he's labeled Team A, Team B, and Team C. Lott said Team A has been involved in multiple shootings in the Midlands, and the guns that they've used have been using in several crimes.
"It's out of control with this group," Lott said.
Some of the shell casings recovered from the pool shooting have been linked to three shootings in Fairfield County and one in Richland County.
Lott said part of the ongoing tension goes back to a fatal shooting last year at the Villages at Lakeshore, while even something as small as a chain being pulled off someone's neck at school could have played a role.
"[They] Just don't care. That's what we're seeing in this case and other cases they're involved," Lott added.
Six males, ranging in age from 17 to 22, have been arrested so far. Lott said each one of them had guns on them when they were arrested that were not the ones used in the May 28 shooting, meaning the suspects had likely gotten rid of those weapons and found new ones to use. Several of them were out on bond from other charges.
The sheriff highlighted one suspect he wanted to find: 22-year-old Joshua House. Lott said House can be seen in the video of the shooting firing an assault rifle and wearing a pink shirt. Lott said his family had promised he'd turn himself in, but that hasn't happened so far. At this point, the sheriff said he considers him a fugitive.
"He's very dangerous," Lott said. "It doesn't matter what rock he crawls under; it could be California. We're going to find him."
Lott said people in the community have been helping in their investigation, offering Ring camera video and cell phone video to help them ID the suspect. But he said many in the community there are scared.
Residents in the community say they are working to take their neighborhood back from violence like this.
"Safety is up to us as a community; yes, we have and depend on the law enforcement to arrest them, but it's going to take the communities to take their communities back," said Chandra Cleveland.
Other neighbors are installing security cameras or moving.
"We have people who decided to move out and I don't blame them at all because it's the safety of them and their children, but some of us are not that fortunate," Cleveland added.
Residents also want people to step up when they see something wrong.
"Just know your neighbor; if you see something happening out here, you say something," said Brodritk Dreher. "Call the police department because we're paying the HOA, and we want this neighborhood safe.
"What we're going to do right now is come together as a community in order to get this to change, this is not going to be the shootout spot," added Cleveland.
To help, he said his Community Action Team will be meeting with community leaders on June 20 to find ways to organize concerned homeowners in an effort to combat crime. He said the neighborhood pool is closed down for now, and temporary sheriff's department cameras are in the area until permanent community cameras can be installed.