Justin Steven Simons, a 36-year-old male, was fatally shot on the evening of Sunday, September 17, 2017, in Columbia, South Carolina. The incident occurred in the 200 block of Stirlington Road, a short distance from his home. An investigation by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department determined that Simons had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Within hours of the shooting, authorities identified a suspect, 19-year-old Isaac Burton Hidalgo of Columbia.
He was located at a friend's house and arrested without incident at approximately 1:00 a.m. the following morning. Hidalgo was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. According to the sheriff's department, the shooting was not a random act. Investigators believe that Simons and Hidalgo were acquainted through previous drug deals, which they suspect was the motive for the fatal encounter.
Following his arrest, Isaac Burton Hidalgo was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center. He was scheduled for a bond hearing on the afternoon of Monday, September 18, 2017. Information regarding the outcome of this hearing, as well as any subsequent trial, conviction, or sentencing, is not publicly available in the searched sources.
Justin Steven Simons was born on April 2, with conflicting sources stating either 1981 or 1983 as the year of his birth. He was remembered in his obituary as a loving husband and father. No information regarding his ethnicity has been made available in the online sources.
