On a tragic Sunday afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina, the life of 16-year-old Caleb Daivon Wise was cut short. On September 24, 2023, Wise, along with three other teenagers, was shot in the 200 block of Saddletrail Road. The shooting claimed the lives of Wise, 16-year-old Jakobe Fanning, and 17-year-old Dre'Von Riley, all of whom were students at Eau Claire High School.
A fourth victim, a 14-year-old student from Alcorn Middle School, was injured in the attack but survived.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene in the Lincolnshire subdivision just after 2 p.m. to find a chaotic scene with multiple gunshot victims. All four victims were transported to a local hospital, where Wise, Fanning, and Riley succumbed to their injuries. The 14-year-old was treated for a gunshot wound to the lower body and was subsequently released.
In the days following the shooting, law enforcement moved swiftly, arresting three suspects in connection with the homicides. Seventeen-year-olds Karlos Damon Gibson and Jakeem Griffin were taken into custody, along with a 14-year-old whose name has not been released due to his age. All three have been charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, the shooting was the culmination of a long-standing dispute that he described as 'something stupid.' He stated that the victims were sitting in front of a house when the suspects approached on foot and opened fire. The incident has highlighted concerns about youth gun violence within the community.
