In the fall of 2008, a life was tragically cut short in West Columbia, South Carolina. Zachariah Chaplin, a 31-year-old male, passed away on November 12, 2008, from complications that arose after he was shot. The initial incident that led to his untimely death occurred weeks earlier, on September 28, 2008, setting in motion a chain of events that would forever alter the lives of two families.
The night of the shooting, Zachariah Chaplin was at a bar in West Columbia when an altercation
began with another man, 31-year-old Andrew E. Torrence. According to reports from the solicitor, Torrence, who was intoxicated, initiated the conflict. He then left the establishment, retrieved a firearm from his vehicle, and returned to the bar. Upon his re-entry, Chaplin moved towards Torrence, who then discharged his weapon twice. Chaplin sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and just below his right ear, the latter causing a severe spinal cord injury. For six weeks, he battled the devastating effects of his injuries, ultimately succumbing to paralysis-related complications.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Andrew E. Torrence was arrested and stood trial for his actions on that fateful night. During the four-day trial in a Lexington County court, Torrence claimed that he was attempting to make a citizen's arrest and had fired his weapon in self-defense. The jury, however, found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. On a Friday in June of 2011, a judge sentenced Torrence to 25 years in prison for his role in the death of Zachariah Chaplin.
