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Guilty verdicts were handed down in Lexington County this week against the man prosecutors say initiated a mass shooting at a South Carolina mall two-and-a-half years ago.
Miraculously, no one died in the shootout – which took place at the Columbiana Centre shortly after 2:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 16, 2022. More than a dozen people were injured, however, and nine people sustained gunshot wounds as a result of the hail of bullets.
On Thursday (October 31, 2024), Jewayne Price, 24, of Columbia, S.C., was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder and nine counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Price is the son of convicted killer and gang leader Jeroid J. Price – whose extralegal, unconstitutional release from the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) last spring sparked a nationwide manhunt.
The elder Price – whose release was secretly approved by retiring judge Casey Manning – was eventually apprehended in New York and returned to SCDC custody.
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As for the younger Price, he and two other defendants – Amari Smith and Marquise Robinson – shared the blame for the 2022 shooting, according to S.C. eleventh circuit solicitor Rick Hubbard.
But Price was the instigator, Hubbard said.
“Who ramped it up that high? Price.” Hubbard told jurors. “Who escalated the situation? Price.”
According to Hubbard, Price fired first under mutual combat – but all three men who exchanged fire are guilty.
“None of them have self-defense,” Hubbard said. “All three are swimming in the same waters.”
Hubbard further noted Price “hated” Smith and Robinson due to an ongoing feud which dated back to 2018 when Amon Rice, a Lower Richland High School athlete, was murdered during a massive gang shootout in Eastover, S.C.
Price was charged with accessory before the fact in connection with Rice’s death, but that charge was dropped.
When Price saw the individuals he believed were ultimately responsible for Rice’s death, he “took the law into his own hands.”
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“It didn’t turn into an exchange of words or a first fight, it turned into warfare,” Hubbard told jurors.
Price’s attorney – powerful S.C. state representative Todd Rutherford – claimed Smith and Robinson were following Price in attempt to kill him, and that Price acted in self defense. He also noted the definition of “mutual combat” which Hubbard provided to jurors was inaccurate.
“They’re asking you to find Mr. Price guilty of attempting to kill the people that were attempting to kill him,” Rutherford said. “Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you that’s an insult.”
The state argued disagreed, though, noting Price’s behavior in the back of the police car following the shooting – where he allegedly asked about his status on Facebook – which was shown to the jurors as video evidence.
S.C. circuit court judge Walton McLeod deferred Price’s sentencing until after the trials of Robinson and Smith – the latter of whom is expected to be tried next week.
Stay tuned to FITSNews for any pertinent updates related to this case…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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2 comments
Lock his sorry ass up and throw away the key. This POS has no regard for human life along with the other two POS that were involved. He now can spend time with his POS gang bang daddy!
Which shooting at the mall?