Darrell Goodwin, a 29-year-old Black male, was a man who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. Known for his love of rapping, playing cards, and a keen sense of fashion, he was also an avid traveler and a participant in various sports in his youth, including football, basketball, and baseball. A resident of Columbia, South Carolina, he was a family man, survived by his father and numerous children.
His life, however, was tragically cut short in a wave of violence that swept through his community.
On the night of April 8, 2016, a series of drive-by shootings took place in the Columbia area. During one of these incidents in the Hammond Village neighborhood, Darrell Goodwin was struck by gunfire. He was rushed to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to them the following day, on April 9, 2016. The Columbia Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into his death, working to gather evidence and identify those responsible for the senseless act of violence that had taken a beloved member of the community.
The investigation into the string of drive-by shootings and Goodwin's death led to a significant breakthrough in May of 2018. The South Carolina Attorney General's Office announced the indictment of eight members of the Bloods criminal gang on a multitude of charges, including murder, attempted murder, and burglary. The investigation, a collaborative effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies, revealed that the series of shootings on April 8, 2016, were gang-related.
In a tragic and ironic twist, it was revealed that Darrell Goodwin was not the intended target of the violence but was instead accidentally shot and killed by his fellow gang members during one of the drive-by shootings. Among the eight individuals indicted, four were publicly identified and charged with murder in connection with the violent spree that led to Goodwin's death. These individuals were Lamont 'Quan Stakks' Brooks of Swansea, Nasiir Ali Shaheed Daniels of West Columbia, Tyree Dayquan Geiger of West Columbia, and Daquan Darnell 'Huncho' Henderson of Gaston. The charges brought against these men marked a significant step towards justice for Darrell Goodwin and his grieving family.
