I think this is just a numbing incident that should have shock value

COLUMBIA, SC (WACH) — We hear from Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook about the tragic shooting of Julian Keel.

The chief says this weekend’s events should make people aware of a major problem in this region.

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“This should be terrifying. This was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him and was lost forever,” said Skip Holbrook, Columbia Police Chief.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook is not mincing his words when it comes to the death of 16-year-old Julian Keel.

He says the community has lost the compassion it once had.

“This is not the first situation where we have experienced what I believe was a purely numbing incident designed to have a shock effect, where there was a lack of cooperation from the citizens who came forward,” said Police Chief Holbrook.

While the police chief did not say that the weapons used in Sunday morning’s shooting were stolen, he said the incident shows that people need to handle guns responsibly.

“A lot of times people are embarrassed to report a gun being stolen or they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble. So there are a lot of guns on the street that we know have been stolen and they’re just being passed around,” says Police Chief Holbrook.

According to Chief Holbrook, it is imperative that parents be involved in their children’s lives.

“They need to know where they are, what they are doing, who they are with, who they are getting in the car with and who they are letting get in their car,” said Police Chief Holbrook.

According to Columbia police, 25 people have been shot so far this year.

In five cases, the crimes were homicides.

In the same period last year, 46 people had already been shot, but only four of these cases were murders.

Holbrook says that with summer approaching, he recommends parents take advantage of a variety of programs to help keep their children out of trouble.

“The city’s parks and recreation facilities offer a lot of summer programs. The midnight basketball is a big hit. But there doesn’t seem to be enough to keep the kids busy,” says Chief Holbrook.