Four-year-old Jah’el E. Walker died on Christmas Eve in Columbia, South Carolina, when a firearm discharged inside a parked vehicle in the Harbison area. The shooting happened about 2:30 p.m. Jah’el was in the car with two other children; one of them ran into a nearby store to alert their mother after the gunshot. The mother had briefly stepped into the store for less than three minutes.

Investigators from the Columbia Police Department reviewed surveillance, interviewed family and witnesses, and worked with the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The firearm belonged to the parents, who were lawful gun owners and normally kept the gun unloaded in the vehicle console with the magazine stored separately. A few days before the shooting the loaded firearm had been moved temporarily to a bag in the vehicle, and the mother was reportedly unaware of that change. Investigators concluded the death was a tragic accident and announced in late January 2025 that no charges would be filed; the case was closed.

Did anyone in the Harbison area see the children or the vehicle that afternoon or have information relevant to this incident?