In the autumn of 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the afternoon quiet in northeast Columbia, South Carolina, leaving a young man's life cut tragically short. On Friday, September 24, 2021, in a wooded area near the 4400 block of Hardscrabble Road, 22-year-old Malik T. Gray was shot in the lower body. Emergency services were called to the scene, but paramedics were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department began an immediate investigation
into the shooting, which occurred around 1 p.m. near a bustling shopping center. Their efforts quickly led to a suspect, and just hours after the fatal shooting, authorities made an arrest.
Nineteen-year-old Jordan C. White was taken into custody in connection with the death of Malik Gray. He was subsequently charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of a stolen gun, and possession of a gun during a violent crime. Following his arrest, White was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Authorities continued to investigate the circumstances that led to the deadly encounter in the woods off Hardscrabble Road.
