COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia Police have arrested two people in thee killing of Julian Keel, a Columbia teenager shot while attending a graduation party.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said 20-year-old Tonie Wilson and a 16-year-old juvenile have been charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and other charges in connection with the case.
Wilson was arrested in Sumter Wednesday morning by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, while the juvenile was located in Gaston. Holbrook said tips were few and far between initially in the case but they recently got a tip that helped them close the connection to the suspects.
Keel was shot and killed in the parking lot of Roll-Out Wangz, Eggrollz and Thangz Bar and Restaurant in the 1400 block of Colonial Life Boulevard, off Bush River Road, around 12:30 a.m. on June 2.
Keel was a rising senior at Keenan and a three-sport athlete.
According to Columbia Police, large groups of teenagers were attending a graduation event at the restaurant when a fight broke out in the parking lot when shots were fired. More than 50 rounds from at least four different firearms were recovered after the event.
Holbrook said investigators determined Wilson and the juvenile had an ongoing "beef" and that they took their ongoing argument to the graduation party. There were competing groups at the event, with Wilson on one side and the juvenile on the other.
Holbrook reiterated that Keel was an innocent bystander and not involved in the fight at the time of the shooting. "He was attempting to leave the party," Holbrook said.
Over the weeks since the shooting, Holbrook said his officers had done over 50 interviews and put in over 1,000 work hours to solve the case. "Our officers, they're moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles," he said. "This stuff is personal and it matters."
Police said they've seized four firearms in the case, including a 300 blackout assault style weapon that investigators believe fired the deadly shots. Holbrook said the guy was purchased on the dark web.
Holbrook said more arrests are expected. He said this was one of 12 murders in the city so far this year and they are now all solved.