A 16-year-old student, Joshua Edmonds, was shot and killed in Columbia, South Carolina, on September 23, 2025. The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Aster Circle while Edmonds was visiting a friend; a companion with him was not injured. Deputies were alerted by a ShotSpotter notification and bystanders directed them to Edmonds, who was taken to a hospital and later died. The Richland County Coroner’s Office confirmed his identity.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says investigators quickly located and arrested 17-year-old Paul Henry nearby. Henry was charged as an adult with murder, attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a person under 18, and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center pending a bond hearing. Authorities describe the shooting as isolated; the motive remains under investigation. Edmonds’ mother, Lakeisha Edmonds, has said her son was not friends with the suspect and believes he was chased and targeted. Lexington-Richland School District 5 has offered grief counseling to students and staff.

If anyone in the Aster Circle area that afternoon saw anything or knew Joshua, please share what might help the investigation.