Elzie Mack

Elzie Mack Jr., a 41-year-old Black man from Gaston, South Carolina, was known as a cook and is remembered by loved ones as being "cool n fun 2 be around." A graduate of Airport High School, he was a husband and the father of a son. His life was violently cut short in a robbery that turned into a double murder in the summer of 2018.

On the afternoon of Thursday, July 5, 2018, Elzie arrived at the New Brookland Apartments in the 900 block of Glenn Street in West Columbia. He was visiting his friend, 26-year-old Samir Bernard Atkins, at Samir's apartment. Unbeknownst to Elzie, a robbery was already in progress inside. The assailant, Damien Lavar Ritter, was Samir's own cousin. Ritter had arrived earlier, and after entering the kitchen with Samir, he shot him in the back of the head. Another person in the apartment was then forced at gunpoint to lie face down on the kitchen floor next to Samir's body.

It was during this terrifying scene that Elzie walked into the apartment. He was immediately ordered to the ground in the kitchen. A witness later testified to hearing a man say, "I'm getting down, I'm getting down," followed by a second gunshot. Elzie had also been shot in the back of the head. Ritter then turned the gun on the surviving victim and pulled the trigger, but the weapon clicked without firing. The survivor fought back, and during the struggle, was shot but managed to escape the apartment and get help.

When West Columbia Police Department officers arrived around 2 p.m., they found Samir Atkins deceased at the scene. Elzie Mack Jr. was still breathing and was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. A third victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries. For three days, Elzie remained on life support, but his injuries were catastrophic. He was declared brain dead the following day and was pronounced dead on Sunday, July 8, 2018, after his organs were procured for donation.

The investigation quickly zeroed in on Damien Lavar Ritter, then 25, of Estill. The surviving victim provided a detailed description of the shooter and the reddish 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving. Police publicly identified Ritter as the suspect and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous. On July 13, 2018, Ritter turned himself in to law enforcement and was arrested. He was charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, and other related offenses.

The trial for Damien Ritter began on June 21, 2021, in a Lexington County courtroom. The prosecution presented evidence that included security footage showing Ritter on the day of the murders and testimony from the surviving victim, who positively identified Ritter as the man who shot all three victims. Forensic pathologist Dr. Janice Ross testified that both Samir Atkins and Elzie Mack died from single gunshot wounds to the back of the head.

After deliberating for only 45 minutes, the jury found Damien Lavar Ritter guilty on all counts. During sentencing, family members of both Elzie and Samir addressed the court, asking for the maximum sentence. Elzie’s wife and son, and Samir’s daughter, were left to navigate life without them. "Both of these men were executed with single gunshot wounds to the back of the head," said Solicitor Rick Hubbard. In June 2021, a judge sentenced Ritter to two consecutive life sentences for the murders, ensuring he will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole. He also received an additional 30 years for attempted murder and kidnapping and 10 years for armed robbery. The case is now considered closed, with justice served for the families of Elzie Mack Jr. and Samir Atkins.