Coroner identifies Columbia man police say was fatally shot in self defense

A 23-year-old man who was shot dead during a fight at the Capri Apartments Tuesday night has been identified as Reaqwon Garrick, of Columbia, the Richland County coroner announced Friday.

Garrick was shot at the apartment complex, located at 4425 East Chapel Dr., near Beltline Boulevard, after arriving at the building around 11 p.m. to confront a male acquaintance, Columbia police said.

He argued with the man and began assaulting him while armed with a gun, according to police.

The man’s brother saw the attack, pushed his brother out of the way and fatally shot Garrick, police said. The men then called 911 to report the shooting and have cooperated with police investigators.

The shooter, who has not been identified, has not been charged with killing Garrick because Columbia police, in consultation with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, determined he was shot in self defense.

The fatal shooting came a day after two teenagers were gunned down outside a Lower Richland apartment complex.

The recent spate of shootings prompted state and local lawmakers and law enforcement officials to hold a news conference Thursday to address the uptick in gun violence.

Columbia police have responded to six shooting deaths so far this year and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department has already investigated 11 shooting homicides, one more than all of last year, Sheriff Leon Lott said Thursday.