In the early morning hours of a Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina, a young man's life was cut short, leaving a family to grapple with a sudden and violent loss. Rodney Kendall Francis II, a 23-year-old male, was fatally shot on January 9, 2016. The incident occurred in the 1000 block of Lady Street, a downtown area that had moments before been filled with the usual weekend nightlife.
Earlier in the evening, Francis had been at Club Rue 77.
Investigators believe that an argument and a physical altercation between at least two groups of people preceded the deadly shooting. As Francis and several others were leaving the club shortly before 3:30 a.m., the dispute escalated. Witnesses reported that shots were fired from a black and gray Chevy Avalanche. When police responded to the reports of gunfire, they discovered Francis on the ground, unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead. The Richland County Coroner's Office later confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
In the days following the shooting, the Columbia Police Department worked to piece together the events of that tragic morning. Their investigation led them to a suspect, and on the Wednesday following the incident, they announced an arrest. Michael Antonio Robinson, also 23 years old, was taken into custody and charged with the murder of Rodney Kendall Francis II. According to law enforcement, Robinson had been involved in the fight with Francis prior to the shooting. Following his arrest, Robinson was held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
