Vista Shooting Connected To Nightclub Vault Shooting

Columbia, SC (WOLO)– New developments connecting the shooting in the Vista to a shooting in Richland County. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said they know these two shootings are related because of the mustang identified at the Vista shooting but they’re still on the hunt for where that vehicle could be hiding.

“Well, it started with the car. The Mustang that was used in the vista shooting transported the person shot from the Vault to the hospital,” Sheriff Lott said.

Sheriff Lott said three hours after the shooting at the Vista, a deputy heard multiple shots coming from a nightclub called Vault on Broad River Road, where a Chevy truck took off at high speed, leading them on a  pursuit.

“There’s no doubt these two shootings are tied together. The Bates subject that’s charged with shooting at the Vista was the one shot at the Vault. And the Mustang used in the Vista shooting was the same vehicle that took him from the Vault club to the hospital,” Sheriff Lott said. 

Richland County deputies were able to detain two suspects from the truck, but two suspects fled on foot. 

“And the shooting at the Vault was probably retaliation for the shooting that happened earlier that happened in the Vista,” Sheriff Lott said.

Richland County is not the only agency willing to bet there will be multiple more arrests made with these two shooting incidents.

“We’ve been handling it more like a neighborhood beef between the two different neighborhoods where these two different groups operated. We know that Bates is on the opposite crew from Houseal. They’re opponents. But they’ve been going at each other for almost a year,” Sheriff Lee Foster said, with the Newberry County Sheriff’s office. 

Violence that both sheriff’s departments say needs to get off the streets, and are asking for the public’s help in locating the vehicles of interest. A BMW with SC plates NLB-507 and the Mustang with paper tags. 

“It never ceases to amaze me on what people will do and the amount of violence people will use. How they think they can solve a problem or issue, or conflict with a gun,” Sheriff Lott said. 

Houseal is now being charged by the FBI, and Sheriff Foster says he hopes they go after Bates too since both of them have pretty lengthy records.