In the early hours of Friday, June 6, 2025, a dispute in the parking lot of S. Bar and Grill on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia, South Carolina, turned deadly, claiming the life of 33-year-old Wendell Frazier Sholar. An employee of the establishment, Sholar was shot following an argument that escalated into a physical altercation just after midnight as patrons were leaving.
Columbia Police Department officers were already in the vicinity and responded to the fight.
During the chaos, one of the men involved in the altercation, identified as 53-year-old Bernard Jackson Jr., drew a firearm and shot Sholar. Officers on the scene immediately rendered aid to Sholar until emergency medical services arrived. He was transported to a local hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Bernard Jackson Jr. was promptly taken into custody at the scene. He has been charged with manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The family of Wendell Sholar has publicly questioned why the charge is not murder, expressing their devastation and calling for justice for their loved one.
