4-year-old fatally shot inside vehicle in South Carolina parking lot on Christmas Eve

A 4-year-old South Carolina boy was fatally shot in a vehicle on Christmas Eve and authorities are trying to figure out what happened to him.

The shooting happened around 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve in the parking lot of a shopping center in Columbia, according to the Columbia Police Department and local outlet WIS.

The boy, Jah’el E. Walker, was inside in a vehicle when he was shot and taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the Lexington County Coroner’s Office shared Wednesday.

Police shared an update shortly after the shooting and said they were interviewing the boy’s mother. 

Authorities told media at the scene that other children were present during the shooting.

According to the coroner’s office, the Columbia Police Department and other agencies are investigating the fatal shooting.

Paste BN has reached out to police to see who else was in the vehicle and whether anyone will face charges in relation to the boy’s death.

“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Walker,” the coroner’s office wrote.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.