Richland Co. Deputies: 4 teens arrested in April robbery that left teen dead

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott has announced the arrest of four teenagers in connection with a robbery that left another teen dead.

The shooting happened on April 9 around 6 p.m. near the intersection of Halleck Lane and Coralbean Way.

According to the Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford, Ryan R. Rowe, 16, of Columbia was found in the road with gunshot wounds. Rowe was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The four teenagers, whose names were not released, have been charged with murder, robbery, use of a weapon during a violent crime and unlawful carry. Three of the juveniles were also charged with possession of a firearm by someone under 18.

In April, neighbors told WIS they heard multiple gunshots, and it appeared one bullet hit the side of a Halleck Lane home.

Chalk messages expressing love for the teen were left where neighbors said the shooting happened.

One neighbor said she is still digesting the shooting. She asked WIS to withhold her identity due to security concerns.

“So I think it was a little traumatic for us to say the least. Definitely nowhere near as traumatic as it was for some of my neighbors, but it definitely was not something you expect at 6 o’clock in broad daylight on a Saturday. You know people were outside cutting their grass and doing yardwork and it was just a typical Saturday until it wasn’t,” she said.

The shooting comes on the heels of an early March shooting which left a 14-year-old dead and four teens arrested.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the non-profit Building Better Communities announced it would be expanding its ambassador program with the goal of providing local teens mentoring to head off gun violence.

Founder Perry Bradley said action needs to be taken to support the initiative to head off gun violence for the summer.

“It’s a community that has to come together right now and fix this issue and if we don’t we’re going into the summer and we’re going to go into the summer hot. And when I say hot, I mean there’s going to be a lot more deaths, a lot more shootings, and a lot more things and we need to cut it off at the head before it even begins,” he said at the time.

Bradley told WIS the program has received resources from community partners but is still looking for governmental financial support.

WIS reached out to the Richland County Coroner’s Office for information on how many minors have died in the county so far in 2022.

All suspects are being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

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