In the summer of 2014, a gathering of friends and family at a party in Columbia, South Carolina, turned into a scene of violence that claimed the life of 47-year-old Isaac Lewis. The Black male was fatally shot on the evening of Saturday, July 12, 2014, on Magnolia Street. Following the incident, he was rushed to Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began with a dispute at the
party. Investigators reported that 17-year-old Malik Davis was involved in a verbal and physical altercation with another individual at the gathering. After the initial confrontation, Davis left the scene, only to return shortly after with his 22-year-old brother, Horace Watts. Both men were reportedly armed with handguns and proceeded to fire multiple shots into the crowd. The gunfire struck two men, one of whom was Isaac Lewis. A second victim was also injured in the shooting but survived.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Horace Watts and Malik Davis fled the scene on foot. The Columbia Police Department quickly identified the brothers as the primary suspects and issued warrants for their arrest on charges of murder and attempted murder. Described as armed and dangerous, law enforcement released physical descriptions of both men to the public. Horace Watts was described as a Black male, 5-foot-8-inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Malik Davis was described as a Black male, 5-foot-6-inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and possibly having gold 'grills' on his teeth.
The search for the two suspects came to an end on the Monday following the shooting. Acting on a tip, officers located Horace Watts and Malik Davis hiding in a bedroom at a residence on Colleton Street in Columbia. They were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Richland County Detention Center to await legal proceedings for their alleged roles in the death of Isaac Lewis.
