COLUMBIA, S.C. — A man was shot who deputies say attempted to break into a home in Columbia Saturday night.
Sheriff Leon Lott said Joseph James Harkless, 21, is charged with three counts of attempted murder and grand larceny.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, at around 7 p.m., Richland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of Concord Place.
Harkless, according to deputies, attempted to gain entry by shooting the back glass patio door of the residence. According to law enforcement the burglar and a family member previously dated and had broken up earlier in the day and he had made threats to shoot her and her family.
The homeowner retrieved his weapon and, when Harkless entered the home, he shot one time, striking the burglar in the upper body.
The burglar ran off and stole a vehicle from the driveway next door, which was running and unattended. He then drove to a nearby hotel where he asked them to call 911.
He is being held in jail.
