CPD: 77-year-old man dies following Putnam Street shooting

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A 77-year-old man who was shot Wednesday morning on Putnam Street has now died, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Officials said the incident happened at the 2700 block of Putnam Street.

The 77-year-old man, identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office as Alphonso Rowe, suffered a lower body injury in the shooting and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

According to Columbia Police Chief “Skip” Holbrook, the residence on Putnam Street they are investigating is one officers have visited before.

Now police are looking for the victim’s son, 18-year-old Devin Rowe.

Holbrook said Devin Rowe lives at the home and is “well-known" to police as a “prolific property crimes offender.”

“We have active warrants for him now,” Holbrook said. “Preliminarily, we believe he was possibly the individual that was involved in the dispute. We don’t know that with certainty yet.”

Holbrook said Devin Rowe was involved in a dispute a couple of months ago where shots were fired at the home.

“We’re actively looking for Devin,” Holbrook said. “We think he can shed some light on this.”

Officials also believe Devin Rowe “runs in circles that have gang affiliation.”

“Clearly, there is a pattern of violence here that continues to escalate,” Holbrook said. “That’s concerning.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Crimestoppers by calling 1-888-CRIME SC (888-274-6372) or visiting www.midlandscrimestoppers.com or www.p3tips.com and click on the “submit a tip” tab. Your identity will be kept anonymous, and if your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

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