In the summer of 2018, a violent encounter at a West Columbia apartment complex tragically cut short the life of 41-year-old Elzie Mack Jr. of Gaston. The incident unfolded on the afternoon of Thursday, July 5th, at an apartment complex located in the 900 block of Glenn Street. Gunshots rang out, leaving three individuals wounded. One victim, 26-year-old Samir Bernard Atkins of West Columbia, was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the upper body.
Mack, who also suffered
a serious gunshot wound to his upper body, was rushed to a local hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, his injuries proved to be fatal. Three days after the shooting, on Sunday, July 8, 2018, Elzie Mack Jr. succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead. His death marked the second fatality resulting from the violent events of that Thursday afternoon.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement officials with the West Columbia Police Department launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for the bloodshed. Their efforts led them to name 25-year-old Damien Lavar Ritter as a suspect in the double homicide. Authorities released a description of Ritter, identifying him as a Black male, approximately 5-foot-4 and weighing 160 pounds. It was also believed that he may have been driving a reddish-colored 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe with South Carolina license plates.
The police urged anyone with information regarding the shooting or the whereabouts of Damien Lavar Ritter to come forward, cautioning that he should be considered armed and dangerous. The community was left to mourn the loss of two of its members as the search for the suspect continued.
