This week in Lexington County, a man was found guilty in connection with a mass shooting that occurred at a mall in South Carolina over two years ago.
No lives were lost during the chaotic event at the Columbiana Centre on Saturday, April 16, 2022, shortly after 2:00 p.m. EDT. However, more than 12 individuals were injured, with nine people suffering gunshot wounds.
On Thursday, October 31, 2024, Jewayne Price, a 24-year-old from Columbia, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and nine counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Price is related to a man named Jeroid J. Price, who is a known gang leader and was recently in the news for being released improperly from the South Carolina Department of Corrections. His release sparked a nationwide search before he was captured in New York.
According to officials, Jewayne Price and two others, Amari Smith and Marquise Robinson, were all involved in the shooting, but prosecutors claim that Price was the main aggressor.
“Who ramped it up that high? Price,” said S.C. eleventh circuit solicitor Rick Hubbard during the trial. He emphasized that all three men were involved and that none could claim self-defense in this situation.
Price allegedly had ongoing issues with Smith and Robinson stemming from a past gang conflict that began in 2018 when a young athlete named Amon Rice was murdered in a gang fight. Price had previously been charged in connection with Rice’s death, though that charge was eventually dropped.
When he spotted people he blamed for Rice’s death, Price took matters into his own hands, resulting in a dangerous situation that escalated into a shooting.
“It didn’t turn into an exchange of words or a first fight; it turned into warfare,” Hubbard stated during the trial.
Price’s defense lawyer, Todd Rutherford, a prominent state representative, argued that Smith and Robinson were pursuing Price, claiming he acted in self-defense. Rutherford contended that the description of “mutual combat” was incorrectly explained to the jury.
“They’re asking you to find Mr. Price guilty of attempting to kill people who were trying to kill him,” Rutherford argued, calling this accusation an insult.
However, the prosecution pointed to Price’s actions in a police car right after the shooting, where he allegedly expressed concern about his social media status. This behavior was shown to the jury as video evidence.
The presiding judge, Walton McLeod, has postponed sentencing for Price until after the trials of his co-defendants, with Robinson set to face trial next week.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
