In the late hours of an early spring evening in Columbia, South Carolina, a burst of violence shattered the quiet of the Gable Oaks Apartments. On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, police were called to the apartment complex on Colleton Street around 10:30 p.m., where they found 65-year-old Perry B. Buchanan suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency services transported him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he died the following morning.
The Richland County Coroner's Office later confirmed the identity of the victim as the Columbia resident.
The investigation into the shooting, which authorities described as an isolated incident, quickly focused on a person known to Buchanan. Days after the fatal shooting, on the evening of Monday, March 30, law enforcement located and arrested a suspect in North, South Carolina. The Columbia Police Department's Fugitive Team, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, took 56-year-old Toni Middleton into custody. Authorities identified Middleton as Buchanan's girlfriend.
Following her arrest, Middleton was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in connection with the death of her boyfriend. While an arrest has been made, the motive for the shooting remains under investigation by the Columbia Police Department. Middleton was transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center to be held. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
