South Carolina shooting: Who was Chris DeLong Jr.? Columbia police officer killed, another injured in gunfire

On August 29, 2026, a tragic shooting occurred in Columbia, South Carolina, resulting in the death of one police officer and the injury of another. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Adam Dowdy from Prosperity, was also killed in the incident. The slain officer has been identified as 29-year-old Chris DeLong Jr., who had recently joined the department in 2024 after graduating from the Criminal Justice Academy in January of that year.

DeLong Jr. was assigned to the Southeast region and had radioed other law enforcement officers around 10:45 am to report that shots had been fired and the suspect was down. The injured officer, identified as David Demick, is currently undergoing recovery. South Carolina Police Chief Skip Holbrook expressed his condolences, stating that the Columbia Police Department had suffered a great loss.

The Columbia Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies, including the Lancaster Police Department and Lexington Police(SC), mourned the loss of Officer DeLong. The South Carolina Policy Council, Lancaster Police Department, and Lexington Police (SC) remembered him in social media posts, describing him as a husband, father, and public servant.

They expressed their condolences to DeLong's family, friends, and Columbia Police Department, urging people to keep them in their prayers during this difficult time.