COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The victim of an alleged hate crime in Richland County will speak publicly for the first time on Thursday.
Jarvis McKenzie will speak alongside his attorney, Tyler Bailey, at a press conference outside the offices of Bailey’s law firm.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department says 33-year-old Jonathan Felkel allegedly shot at McKenzie at the front gate of the Spring Valley neighborhood on July 17 because of his race.
He is the first person to be charged under Richland County’s recently passed hate crime ordinance.
Investigators later identified Felkel as a suspect after viewing security video of the incident. In it, a vehicle is shown parked in front of a gated area before a gunshot is heard. Felkel is then reportedly heard saying, “keep running, boy” to the victim