Two wounded men drove to a church for help, and deputies later arrested a 20-year-old suspect.
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A church bingo game filled with senior citizens turned into a crime scene Thursday when two wounded men drove to Triumphant Praises Church International for help after a nearby shooting, and one of them later died, authorities said.
Investigators say the violence began not at the church but near the 7300 block of Monticello Road, where deputies were called around 12:15 p.m. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said a 20-year-old man, Anthony Boyd, was later arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. By Friday, the Richland County Coroner’s Office had identified the person killed as Jordan T. Miller, 18, of Columbia, while the second victim remained hospitalized.
Pastor Tashia Castellano said the church was hosting bingo when people inside began hearing a horn outside. She said she told those gathered to stay indoors and then went to see what was happening. “When I came out, a gentleman asked about calling police and indicated that he had been shot,” Castellano said. She said dozens of seniors were inside at the time. Deputies who arrived found two men with gunshot wounds and began giving aid until EMS got there. One victim was taken to a hospital. The other was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have said the men had already been shot before they reached the church grounds.
Investigators said the shooting grew out of a meeting involving people who knew one another. According to the sheriff’s department, Boyd and the victims had agreed to meet at the location on Monticello Road. When they arrived, Boyd allegedly opened fire. Deputies have not publicly said what led to the meeting or what sparked the gunfire. They also have not released details about the surviving victim’s condition beyond saying he was hospitalized for treatment. The sheriff’s department said the case remains active, and the coroner’s office said it would continue working with investigators as they sort through the evidence.
The church’s role in the episode added a jarring detail to an otherwise familiar homicide investigation. Castellano said the shooting itself did not happen at Triumphant Praises Church International, but the wounded men came there in search of help. That distinction matters because it turned a routine afternoon church activity into an emergency response site within seconds. Castellano said the experience was frightening and heartbreaking. “There were two lives, and whatever I could do for him, that’s what my job was,” she said. Her account placed church workers and guests in the middle of a fast-moving crisis they had no warning was coming.
Authorities moved quickly after the shooting. Investigators said Boyd left before law enforcement arrived, but members of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Fugitive Task Force and Special Response Team found him around 7 p.m. Thursday and arrested him without incident. He was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Local reports on Friday said his bond would be addressed later in General Sessions court. In the meantime, detectives were still working through the basic unanswered questions that often shape an early-stage homicide case: why the meeting was arranged, whether anyone else saw the confrontation start, and what evidence from the scene or nearby vehicles may help explain how the encounter turned deadly.
Other reporting added to the picture of how wide the investigation became. WIS reported that deputies were also examining a connected scene in the 1300 block of Heyward Brockington Road, about a mile away, where investigators used a K-9 unit and a drone and had a vehicle towed. Officials have not publicly explained how that second location fits into the case, but its inclusion suggested the investigation stretched beyond the spot where the victims sought help. By Friday, neighborhood reaction was beginning to surface as well, with residents describing shock that such violence unfolded so close to a church event in broad daylight.
The case stood Friday with one teenager dead, another victim still recovering, and Boyd jailed on three charges as investigators continued to piece together the events of March 5. The next key milestone is further court action on Boyd’s bond and any additional details released by the sheriff’s department.
Author note: Last updated March 7, 2026.