One Columbia man died Sunday afternoon after being shot on North Eighth Street. The shooting is one of many that have recently occurred in Columbia. Police have increased the number of patrollers downtown. The Douglass Park Neighborhood Association spokesperson Tyree Byndom said the extra police force hasn’t been effective. He also said for now the only thing people in the neighborhood can do is stay alert.
“There’s really not much an individual, the Neighborhood Association, even the police – it’s their job – that can do to police it other than trying to make sure that we know our neighbors, that the young men or young individuals understand what rites of passage are, so we’re just going to continue to do the same work that we’re doing.”
Byndom said more people need to get involved to stop shooting incidents from happening again. The police have arrested 18-year-old Larrell Banks as Sunday’s murder suspect.