In the early morning hours of August 5, 2023, the life of 32-year-old Nicholas E. Bonepart was tragically cut short in Columbia, South Carolina. Responding to a ShotSpotter alert indicating gunfire, Columbia Police Department officers arrived at the 2100 block of Waverly Street, an area situated across from Benedict College's Charles W. Johnson Stadium.
There, they discovered Bonepart inside a vehicle, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that the incident was not a random act of violence. According to authorities, the fatal encounter occurred during a narcotics transaction that escalated into an attempted armed robbery. The Richland County Coroner's Office officially identified Nicholas E. Bonepart as the victim of the homicide.
Following the incident, the Columbia Police Department, in conjunction with the United States Marshals Service's Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, launched a thorough investigation. Their efforts led to the identification and subsequent arrest of a suspect. Johnny Fletcher Jr., 45 years old at the time, was taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting.
Fletcher has since been charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
