COLUMBIA, S.C. — A jury has found a man guilty on all counts related to a shooting at the Columbiana Centre Mall near Columbia that left over a dozen people injured in April of 2022.
The panel reached their verdict against Jewayne Price quickly Thursday afternoon after hearing closing arguments from prosecutors and defense earlier in the day. Price was convicted of attempted murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and unlawful carry of a pistol. He'll be sentenced at a later date.
On April 16, 2022, prosecutors said three men, including Price, opened fire in the hallways of the mall. Fourteen people were injured during the shooting spree that took place over Easter weekend.
During the trial, the prosecution presented a range of testimonies, including accounts from victims, who were minors at the time. The jury heard emotional recollections, with victims sharing their struggles following the traumatic event.
One witness recounted the shock, saying, “I called him [my dad] and said that I got shot and I asked him if I was gonna die.”
Another described their disorientation, saying, “It was very overwhelming because I didn't know if I would be okay, and my vision started to get blurry, and then next thing I know all I could see was black."
Prosecutors brought out officers and firearms experts who said that Price initiated the shooting. Surveillance footage from the scene was reviewed extensively, with prosecutors pointing to actions that they argued showed Price moving toward another suspect, Marquise Robinson, with a drawn weapon. But his defense countered by saying Price's actions were in self-defense. Demonstrations aimed to question the clarity of the evidence, as Price’s counsel sought to cast doubt on the intent behind his actions.
Price’s co-defendants face trials soon, with one scheduled to begin on Friday.
