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The Columbiana Centre mall in Irmo is basically the equivalent of a Towne Centre in Mount Pleasant. It's NOT as expansive or sprawling, but it's nestled in a relatively quiet part of town when it comes to crime. I spent a few years of high school in the area, and my parents still live close and frequent this mall.
So, to hear one of the three gunmen involved in this case, that left 14 people injured, is out of jail on $25,000 bond, with an ankle monitor, blows my mind. I know more will come out about this case, but, you've got to wonder if it 'helps' that 22-year-old Jewayne Price's attorney is a State Representative??
SC Representative Todd Rutherford claims his client shot in self-defense and said his client was shot at by people who had previously made threats against him on Facebook.
Rutherford also stated Price has fully cooperated with police and has been charged with unlawful carry of a pistol because he does not have a Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) but owns the gun legally and it is registered to him.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott released a statement that stated that Price was charged by RCSD with accessory after the fact in connection with the murder of 17-year-old Amon Rice. The statement said in part:
Sheriff Leon Lott has spoken publicly about his concerns with what he calls a “catch and release” system. “We catch people, they serve a little bit of time, they get out and they get right back doing what they normally do and that’s commit crimes,” he said at a recent press conference. “The criminal justice system needs to do better.”
The Columbia Police Department says that the judge will allow Price to travel from home to work at certain times during the day. His first court date is set for June 9, 2022.