Columbia man found dead outside of Lexington County home, coroner says
On Sunday night, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were involved in a death investigation.
Hoyt Mitchell Jennings, a 47-year-old Columbia resident, is the man who was found dead, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Monday.
Just before 6 p.m., the sheriff’s department posted about the death on social media.
Deputies were at a home on Villa Court, according to the post. That’s in the West Columbia area, near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
At about 4:40 p.m. Sunday, Jennings’ body was found outside a home in the 100 block of Villa Court, Fisher said.
Jennings had been shot in the upper body and died at the scene, according to the coroner’s office. Information about why Jennings was at the West Columbia home was not available.
One person has been detained, according to the sheriff’s department. There was no word if that person was arrested, or information about any criminal charges.
Information about what led to the shooting, the number of people involved, or a potential motive for the gunfire, was not available.
The sheriff’s department did say that it doesn’t believe there’s a threat to the public related to the death.
The shooting continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s department and the coroner’s office.
It’s possible more information will be released, the sheriff’s department said.
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This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 7:01 AM with the headline "Columbia man found dead outside of Lexington County home, coroner says."
