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Shooting at Capri Apartments in Columbia deemed self-defense, police say

No charges will be filed in a recent fatal shooting in Columbia, the police said Thursday.

After consulting with the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Columbia Police Department said the shooting was an act of self-defense.

At about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, a man’s body was found at the Capri Apartments at 4425 East Chapel Drive, police said. That’s near Beltline Boulevard, in the area between intersections with Rosewood Drive and Devine Street.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office has yet to publicly identify the man.

But the 23-year-old man who died was determined to be an armed aggressor who had a gun when he fought with a male resident of the apartment, police said in a news release.

Following an investigation that included interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence from the scene, police said the man reportedly arrived unannounced at the Capri Apartments.

While armed with a gun, he then began arguing and assaulting a male acquaintance inside, according to the release.

The victim’s brother saw the assault, pushed his brother out of way for safety and fatally shot the aggressor, police said.

The two victims inside the apartment called 911 immediately after the shooting and have been cooperative with investigators, according to the release.

The fatal gunfire occurred a day after two teenagers were killed in an unrelated shooting in Columbia.

Desmond Williams, 15, of Eastover, and Reginald Nixon Jr., 17, of Columbia, were outside a Lower Richland apartment complex Monday night when at least one gunman fatally shot them, the coroner’s office said. That double homicide happened about 5 miles from where Tuesday’s shooting occurred.

After Williams and Nixon were killed, the coroner’s office said it’s going to work more closely with police and community partners to try to decrease the gun violence in Columbia and Richland County.

“We have to be proactive about gun violence in our communities,” Coroner Naida Rutherford said.

Anyone with information on that shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.