A tragic shooting at Budiman’s Smokeshop & Art Gallery on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina, left two people dead and a third seriously injured on Wednesday night. Authorities have identified the suspect as 28-year-old Zachary East Elias of Columbia, who is now in custody facing multiple charges, including two counts of murder.
Police were called to the scene around 9:40 p.m. after reports of gunfire. While en route, officers received a description of the suspect: a white male fleeing in a silver Dodge. Shortly after, the suspect crashed his vehicle near the Catawba River bridge, where officers attempted to apprehend him. One officer fired a shot but missed. Elias then charged at officers, prompting them to use a stun gun before subduing him after a brief struggle.
Inside the smoke shop, police found three victims with gunshot wounds. Tragically, Emad Thabet Saadalla and smoke shop employee Celci Johnson were pronounced dead at the scene. A third victim, a woman whose injuries included multiple gunshot wounds and broken bones, was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
The injured woman is the mother of six children, ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years old. Her husband, the sole provider for the family, was one of the victims killed in the attack. Authorities confirmed the victims were customers and not employees of the smoke shop, and a fourth individual managed to escape unharmed.
Elias has been charged with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He is being held at the Rock Hill Jail. The highway near the scene was closed for several hours and reopened around 3 a.m. Thursday.
The shooting has devastated the Rock Hill community, particularly the family of the injured mother and her deceased husband. Neighbors described the couple as kind and hardworking, having recently relocated from Florida to Rock Hill. Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind this senseless act of violence.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Rock Hill Police Department as the investigation remains ongoing.