Man threatens ex, family after breakup but is shot during Irmo break in, cops say
The man who threatened to shoot his ex and her family wound up getting shot and was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
It was at about 7 p.m. Saturday when the shooting happened at a home in the 200 block of Concord Place, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The Irmo home is near the intersection of Kennerly and Hollingshed roads.
The shooting happened on the same day that Joseph James Harkless, 21, broke up with a woman whose family lives at the home, according to the release.
During the breakup, Harkless made threats to shoot the woman and her family, the sheriff’s department said.
When he returned, Harkless tried to break in by shooting a glass patio door on the back of the home, according to the release.
As this happened, the homeowner got his gun and opened fire when Harkless came inside, the sheriff’s department said.
Harkless was shot in the upper body and ran off, stealing an unattended, running vehicle from the the driveway of the house next door, according to the release.
He drove to a nearby hotel, where he asked someone to call 911, the sheriff’s department said.
Harkless was taken to an area hospital, where he was arrested, the sheriff’s department said Sunday.
He was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he was charged with three counts of attempted murder, and grand larceny, jail records show.
Harkless remains behind bars, as no bond has been set, jail records show.
Prior to the shooting, Harkless was arrested in July 2019, when he was charged with burglary and malicious injury to tree, house; trespass upon real property, Richland County court records show. He was out on $25,000 personal recognizance bond for the pending charges, according to court records.
