In the early morning hours of March 20, 2016, the life of 22-year-old Levi Michael Happy, a White male, was cut short in Columbia, South Carolina. His body was discovered inside a vehicle parked at 1001 Harden Street, in the vicinity of a Food Lion grocery store. An autopsy would later confirm that he died from a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen.
The Columbia Police Department immediately launched an investigation into what they deemed a suspicious death, working to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting.
Investigators began canvassing the area, known for its active nightlife, and sought to speak with anyone who may have seen or interacted with Happy in the hours leading up to his death. They reviewed surveillance footage from the surrounding area and appealed to the public for any information that might shed light on the circumstances of the shooting. The police were trying to determine if the incident was a murder, a suicide, or an accident.
A day after the discovery of Happy's body, the Columbia Police Department released images of three men they described as 'persons of interest' whom they wanted to identify and question. The surveillance photos also captured two vehicles that police believed the men left the area in. Shortly after the release of these images, authorities announced that they had located and were questioning one of the individuals seen in the photographs.
Despite this initial lead, the investigation into Levi Michael Happy's death appears to have stalled. No further information was publicly released about the outcome of the questioning, and the other persons of interest were never publicly identified. To date, no suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The case remains a painful and unresolved chapter for his family and friends, who remember him as a vibrant young man with a promising future.
