DENTSVILLE, SC – A domestic dispute in a quiet Richland County neighborhood escalated into gun violence Thursday evening, leaving a man wounded and a 2-year-old child at the center of a criminal investigation. Deputies say the child’s mother struck and shot her ex-boyfriend as he attempted to check on their young child during the confrontation.
Khila Wood, 29, is charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and neglect by a legal custodian, according to Richland County jail records. She is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $125,000 bond.
The incident unfolded around 7 p.m. Thursday on Nancy Avenue in Dentsville, a suburb northeast of Columbia. Authorities said Wood, the child’s father, and their toddler — who is under the age of 3 — were together when an argument began.
Violence erupts during dispute
According to reports from local NBC affiliate WIS, the argument turned physical when Wood allegedly struck the man in the head with a firearm. The two then struggled over the weapon before Wood reportedly regained control of it.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said that as the man walked toward a vehicle to check on the child, Wood shot him. The child was not physically injured during the incident.
Deputies arriving at the scene found evidence of the violence, including two pools of blood. A witness at the scene told responding officers, “she shot him,” according to reports.
Suspect arrested after taking victim to hospital
After the shooting, Wood and the injured man reportedly left the area together. Authorities said the victim was later dropped off at a hospital, where he received treatment for his injuries.
Wood then contacted law enforcement to disclose her location and was taken into custody without further incident.
Officials said the child has since been placed in the care of a grandmother.
Richland County investigators have not released additional details about the victim’s condition or whether further charges could be filed.
