In the summer of 2019, a young man's life was tragically cut short in Columbia, South Carolina. Emmitt I. Hart, a 20-year-old male, was fatally shot on the night of Saturday, July 27, 2019. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. at the Lakeshore Village Apartments located at 7545 Garners Ferry Road. Hart was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy later confirmed that his death was the result of multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
It was reported that he had been shot nine times.
In the wake of the shooting, the Columbia Police Department launched an investigation into Hart's death. However, the case proved difficult from the outset, with limited information available regarding the circumstances that led to the shooting or a potential motive. Emmitt Hart's mother, Wanda Penny-Hinton, made public appeals for anyone with information to come forward, expressing her devastation and describing her son as a kind-hearted individual who would give the shirt off his back to anyone. She believed that some of his friends might have knowledge about what happened but were hesitant to speak with law enforcement.
As time passed, the investigation into Emmitt Hart's murder remained ongoing, yet no arrests were made and no suspects were publicly identified. A year after his death, in July 2020, the Columbia Police Department renewed their call for public assistance, highlighting that the case was still unsolved. They continued to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, to contact them or to submit an anonymous tip through Crimestoppers. The case stands as a painful unsolved homicide for the family and the Columbia community.
