Midlands man gets 21 years for apartment shooting
April 14, 2026
On April 9, 2026, William Wright III pleaded guilty to attempted burglary first-degree, discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The Honorable Thomas W. McGee III sentenced Wright to 21 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
On Jan. 11, 2024, the Columbia Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter alert on Ripplemeyer Avenue. around 6 a.m. Officers arrived to find the apartment had been shot more than 10 times. A family of five, including three minor children, was inside the apartment at the time of the shooting.
Investigators obtained video footage showing Wright attempting to kick in the front door, then firing a handgun through the front door, front windows, and rear windows of the apartment before fleeing the scene. Officers apprehended Wright nearby, and he admitted he was the shooter.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. Assistant Solicitors Samuel C. McGlothin and Carson Anderson represented the State. CPD Investigator Kevin Davis led the investigation.