Wounded Lexington County Deputy Returns Fire and Stops a Gunman at a Columbia-Area Gun Show; Deputy Stable After Surgery

A Lexington County sheriff's deputy working security at a gun show near Columbia, South Carolina, was shot by a patron on Saturday and returned fire, killing the person who shot him, authorities said ^[1][2].

The shooting happened at the Jamil Temple, the Shriners event hall off Jamil Road in the Harbison area northwest of downtown Columbia, where the South Carolina Arms Collectors Association was holding a gun and knife show ^[2][3]. The Associated Press account carried by The Washington Times said the deputy was fired on and then fatally shot the person who opened fire ^[1].

The show's rules, posted on the association's website, bar loaded weapons for anyone but on-duty police officers and require every firearm brought inside to have its action secured, the AP reported ^[1]. The sheriff's office has not said whether the person who fired was carrying a loaded gun in violation of those rules ^[1]. The Shriners-owned temple at 206 Jamil Road is regularly rented out for events ranging from gun shows to jewelry expos and roller derbies, according to the AP ^[1].

WIS first reported a large law enforcement presence around the temple, and WSPA reported soon after that the suspect was dead and the deputy injured ^[2][6].

Deputy in surgery, listed as stable

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department said the wounded deputy was taken to a hospital and went into surgery, and that his medical team described his condition as stable ^[2][4]. The sheriff's office said there was no ongoing threat to the public ^[2][3].

Neither the deputy nor the person who was killed had been publicly identified by Saturday evening, and the sheriff's office had not said what led to the gunfire inside the show ^[3][4]. None of the early reports described anyone else being hurt ^[1][4].

By every account published so far, the deputy was shot first and fired back while he was working the show's security detail ^[1][2]. That is the central fact on the record tonight, and it is the one investigators will now document in detail.

SLED takes the case

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will investigate the shooting, which the sheriff's office described as standard procedure ^[2]. FITSNews noted that the sheriff's department asked SLED to take the case, in keeping with the standard practice of most local law enforcement agencies in the state after an officer-involved shooting ^[3].

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Drivers near Jamil Road, St. Andrews Road and Interstate 26 were told to expect delays while investigators worked the scene ^[2][3].

How the story is being told

National outlets largely ran the AP's account, which described the shooter as a customer at the show ^[1]. Some outlets, including FOX 9, described the shooter only as a person who fired on the deputy ^[5]. Local coverage from WIS, ABC News 4 and FITSNews focused on the deputy's condition, the investigation and the traffic around the temple ^[2][3][4].

What comes next

The sheriff's office and SLED have not said when they will release the names of the deputy or the person killed, or more about the moments before the shots were fired ^[3][4]. Liberty Bell Report will update this story as officials share more about the deputy's recovery and the investigation.