West Columbia shooting victim identified

West Columbia, SC (Paul Kirby) - Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has now identified the victim of a homicide that occurred in West Columbia Friday morning just before 9:00 a.m. The murder occurred at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Platt Springs Road not far from the area’s main post office.

According to Fisher, Edward N. Walker, 38, of Columbia suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen and was pronounced dead near the scene of the shooting. He was located by someone in the parking area of the complex sometime after the shooting occurred.

According to the West Columbia Police Department, their investigation revealed that Walker and 21-year-old Levette Gladden began fighting inside one of the apartments there. At some point, Gladden pulled a gun and shot Walker. Walker tried to run, but only made it a short distance from the location of the fight before he fell dead. They have not said what the pair were fighting over.

West Columbia police officers took Gladden into custody quickly, and he was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center later that afternoon. He will be held for a bond hearing that will take place sometime soon.