In the fading light of a Tuesday afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina, the life of 22-year-old Jaquan Ashford was tragically cut short. On January 21, 2020, gunfire erupted at the Gable Oaks Apartments on Colleton Street. Responding to reports of a shooting shortly before 5:00 p.m., police officers discovered Ashford outside the apartment complex with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
He was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead by the medical staff. The Richland County Coroner's office later confirmed that Ashford's death was the result of the gunshot wound.
The investigation into the shooting, which authorities described as an isolated, drug-related incident, quickly led to suspects. A vehicle was seen speeding away from the crime scene, and officers initiated a traffic stop a short time later. During the stop, one of the occupants, 22-year-old Marquise Randolph, fled on foot but was apprehended by police. The driver of the vehicle, 43-year-old Geraldine Manigault, was also taken into custody. Several vehicles in the apartment complex parking lot were also damaged by gunfire during the incident.
Following the arrests, Marquise Randolph was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent crime. Shockingly, at the time of Ashford's death, Randolph was already out on a $10,000 surety bond related to a recent armed robbery and weapons investigation. Geraldine Manigault faced a charge of accessory after the fact of murder, and a judge set her bond at $200,000. Both suspects were booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Funeral services for Jaquan Ashford were held on January 30, 2020, at the Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, followed by his burial in the Lincoln Cemetery.
