COLUMBIA (WACH/AP) -- The Richland County coroner has identified the man killed during a bank robbery in Columbia in which three other suspects were arrested.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts identified the man as 23-year-old Ramel Wright of Eastover. Watts said Wright died at the scene Friday from a single gunshot wound to his torso.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said the robbers fired shots into the ceiling, floor and windows before shooting at officers as well. "They were trying to get him to give up," said Sheriff Lott. "He would not give up. He kept walking backwards away from them, and he made a statement: 'I'm 'on kill ya.' And he was pulling the gun out of his pocket in the process of doing that, and that's when he was shot."
The sheriff says the men wore hoods and masks and were carrying several guns when they entered the Wells Fargo branch in the northeastern suburbs of Columbia. Authorities arrived after employees triggered an alarm. He said no officers or people in the bank or on the street were injured during or after the Friday morning robbery.
Ozzie Carreker, 26, Rashad Hall, 22, and Naim Stroman, 22, were arrested for armed robbery, attempted murder and kidnapping.
Sheriff Lott says all the men had lengthy criminal records.
"One of the subjects that we arrested had an ankle monitor on that he took off this morning in order to go do this bank robbery," said Sheriff Lott.
Sheriff Lott says law enforcement recovered the money that was stolen.
Law enforcement is investigating whether the men were involved in another bank robbery that happened Thursday on Garners Ferry Road.
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