An 18-year-old, Dion Briggs, was fatally shot in Columbia, South Carolina, on the evening of Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of gunfire about 7 p.m. in the 1700 block of Nearview Drive and found Briggs unresponsive in front of a residence with a gunshot wound to the upper body; emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene.

Investigators say the shooting occurred during a planned firearm transaction. Authorities allege Briggs was attempting to purchase a handgun from 17-year-old Jordan Lemmon when Lemmon shot him and fled. Lemmon was later located in Sumter during a traffic stop and, despite being a minor, has been charged as an adult with murder, criminal conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18.

A second suspect, 21-year-old Semieon Helton-Hill, was arrested and identified as the driver of the vehicle involved; he faces charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. A search of the residence where Helton-Hill was found turned up two guns, one reported stolen. Both men are being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after bond was denied.

Did anyone in the area see activity near Nearview Drive that evening or know anything about the planned transaction?