Lexington, SC 10/16/2021 (Paul Kirby) - Isaiah Deshaun Butler, 23, of Columbia, SC, was convicted Thursday for a drive-by shooting at Riverbend Apartments in the West Columbia area that injured a mother and her child. The jury returned convictions of Attempted Murder and Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature.
Judge Walton J. McLeod, IV, presided over the trial that began on Monday. He sentenced Butler to 28 years on the attempted murder charge and 20 years on the assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature charge. Butler’s sentences will be served concurrently. Under South Carolina law, these charges are classified as violent and are “no parole” offenses.
Following the trial, Solicitor Rick Hubbard remarked, “I am grateful for the hard work on the part of the prosecution team and law enforcement in bringing closure to this family. The trial of this case was delayed multiple times for various reasons and, unfortunately, one of the victims passed away last month due to unrelated causes. We know that her family is grateful that justice was done here in Lexington County on her behalf.”
On August 30, 2018, Butler, who was driving a black Range Rover, opened fire into a crowd of people in the parking lot of the Riverbend Apartment complex. The bullets struck a mother multiple times in the chest, breast, and her arm. A round also struck her daughter in the head. Both women were transported by ambulance for treatment. The mother remained in the hospital for approximately nine days and, fortunately, both women survived this shooting.
Earlier in the day, Butler’s girlfriend and her sibling were in a verbal and physical altercation over a cell phone. During the altercation, the daughter, who was a friend of the siblings, attempted to break up the fight and that led to a verbal altercation between Butler and the daughter. At some point, Butler ended up in possession of the cell phone and would not give it back to his girlfriend’s sibling. During this tussle for the phone and subsequent exchange over it, Butler threatened to shoot the daughter and others. The threats were reported to law enforcement. During the trial, witnesses testified to seeing Butler driving a black Range Rover that day. When law enforcement arrived in response to these threats, they also observed Butler and the black Range Rover. However, Butler left the complex with the cell phone before law enforcement realized his involvement in the altercation.
After the threats were made, the mother arrived to pick up her daughter. Shortly after 9:00 p.m., witnesses testified they saw the same black Range Rover drive into the apartment complex and open fire on the crowd that included an infant child. They were standing outside because they were waiting on Butler to bring back the cell phone. This is when the mother and daughter sustained their gunshot wound injuries.
Butler took the stand in his own defense and claimed he had an alibi. He also denied having a black Range Rover. Evidence presented at trial included eyewitness testimony identifying Butler as the shooter. His cell phone records also placed him there. After obtaining a search warrant, Butler’s cell phone was examined further. Investigators told the jury that the phone contained evidence of the shooting. There were also photos of a black Range Rover parked in Butler’s driveway two days prior to the shooting stored within the phone.
During sentencing, the Court was made aware of how this shooting impacted this family and the fear that they lived in since this shooting occurred.
Assistant Solicitors Sutania A. Fuller and Whitney Yongue handled the prosecution of this case for the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office. This case was investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant Solicitor Fuller remarked that “this senseless shooting almost caused multiple people their lives. It is unfortunate that one of the victims did not live to see justice served in this case and that she lived in fear leading up to her passing. But her family has expressed how grateful they are to have this closure now on her behalf.”
