Second man charged in triple homicide

A second man has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident at a Columbia apartment that left three men dead.

Jeremy Savoy Cornish, 38, is charged with three counts of murder and one count of first degree burglary, according to arrest warrants. Justin Tyler Ellaree Hopkins, 21, was taken into custody the weekend after the December 17 shootings. Hopkins is charged with three counts of murder, unlawful carrying of a pistol, first degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to warrants.

“Cornish has been a part of our investigation since its early stages,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Witnesses told detectives early on they’d seen Hopkins running away from the scene and getting into a truck matching the description of one Cornish admitted he driving the day of the incident.”

Investigators have collected evidence linking Hopkins and Cornish to the vehicle and the incident location, according to Koon.