In the early morning hours of December 17, 2017, the festive atmosphere at City Nightz bar and grill in West Columbia, South Carolina, gave way to chaos and tragedy. Rodney T. Leak, a 41-year-old Black male, was working as a manager at the establishment on Old Dunbar Road. Shortly after the 2 a.m. closing time, two masked men entered the club through a side door, intent on robbery.
The armed assailants made their way to a back office area where Leak was present with several other people.
One of the intruders raised a handgun and opened fire, striking Leak multiple times. The gunshots proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The two men fled immediately after the shooting, leaving a scene of shock and devastation. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department responded to a 911 call from a witness and promptly began their investigation into the violent death.
In the initial stages of the investigation, no immediate arrests were made, and the identities of the suspects remained unknown. Investigators diligently processed the crime scene and discovered a crucial piece of evidence: a. 40-caliber Smith & Wesson magazine clip that one of the attackers had dropped. This piece of evidence would prove to be the key to unlocking the case. Forensic analysis by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division revealed both a fingerprint and DNA on the magazine clip, both of which were matched to 27-year-old Christopher Jamel Brisbon of Columbia.
Just days after the murder, on December 21, 2017, Christopher Jamel Brisbon was arrested during a traffic stop. He was subsequently charged with murder, burglary, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, criminal conspiracy, and three counts of first-degree assault and battery. Following a trial that began in February 2022, a Lexington County jury found Brisbon guilty of murder, second-degree burglary, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison and, under South Carolina law, is not eligible for parole. The second suspect involved in the deadly shooting was never identified and remains at large.
