In a tragic turn of events on a Friday afternoon in Columbia, SC, 20-year-old Deangelo Prometheus Henderson lost his life in what authorities believe was an act of retaliation. On June 16, 2017, Henderson was shot at the intersection of Leesburg and Patterson roads. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to a gunshot wound to the torso about an hour later.
The investigation into Henderson's death quickly led to two suspects: 20-year-old Freddie Lamont Mitchell Jr.
and 17-year-old Jordan Taylor. Mitchell, who was described as a friend of the victim, was arrested at his residence. Taylor was apprehended at his home the following morning. Both were charged with murder. Investigators stated that the shooting was in retaliation for a prior dispute between Taylor's brother and Henderson. In addition to the murder charges, authorities indicated that both suspects would also face charges for armed robbery.
The narrative of that fatal day unfolded further during legal proceedings. Henderson and a co-defendant had gone to a convenience store where they encountered Taylor. Taylor asked for a ride and got into the back passenger seat. He then reportedly whispered to the co-defendant, who was in the front passenger seat, about a plan to rob Henderson of his car. Taylor then brandished a gun and demanded Henderson 'give it up'. Henderson lunged to the back of the car to defend himself as the co-defendant tried to gain control of the vehicle. In the ensuing struggle, several shots were fired, and the car came to a stop. Henderson died from the gunshot wounds, and both Taylor and the co-defendant fled the scene.
Investigators were aided by a statewide security camera near where a witness saw one of the suspects discard his shirt. The surveillance footage showed two individuals matching the suspects' descriptions, with one hiding in some bushes for a short time. The murder weapon was later recovered from those same bushes, and evidence from the car matched the weapon. The co-defendant provided a written statement that implicated Taylor as the shooter. In January 2020, Jordan Taylor pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery and manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison.
