In the early morning hours of February 17, 2018, a dispute over a taxi fare in Columbia, South Carolina, escalated into a fatal exchange of gunfire, claiming the lives of a cab driver and a teenage passenger. Rayvon Wilmot, a 38-year-old Black / African American male, was working as a driver for Blue Ribbon cab company when he picked up three teenagers.
Upon reaching their destination on Johnson Avenue, an argument erupted between Wilmot and one of the passengers, 18-year-old Marques A.
Hallman, concerning the cost of the ride. The verbal altercation quickly turned violent, and both Wilmot and Hallman produced firearms, shooting each other while inside the taxi. The two other teenage passengers who were present in the cab at the time managed to escape without injury.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and both Wilmot and Hallman were transported to local hospitals. Wilmot succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head. Hallman was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
The Columbia Police Department launched an investigation into the shooting. Law enforcement officials recovered the firearms used in the incident and were working to determine their origins. At the time, Police Chief W.H. Holbrook lamented the senseless loss of life over a minor disagreement and highlighted the issue of teenagers having unlawful access to guns. The investigation into the circumstances of the deadly encounter was ongoing, with no reports of additional suspects or arrests in the case.
