Investigators have identified both men but have not publicly explained what led to the Saturday night shooting near Two Notch Road.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two men who died in a Saturday night shooting near Two Notch Road shot each other during the encounter, Columbia police say, leaving investigators to determine what led to the deadly confrontation.
The shooting occurred Sept. 5 in the area of School House Road and Two Notch Road. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford later identified the men as Kevin Noble Jr., 34, and Nathaniel B. Harrell, 30, both of Columbia.
Police accounts indicate one man died at the scene and the other was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Authorities have not publicly detailed the sequence of the gunfire or released information about what happened immediately before the shooting.
The police description that the men shot each other narrows a key part of the investigation but leaves several circumstances unresolved. Officials have not announced a motive, described the relationship between Noble and Harrell or said what prompted the encounter. No detailed investigative findings have been released publicly.
The case was one of two shooting investigations Columbia police opened Saturday night. Another shooting occurred in the parking lot of a Food Lion on Harden Street in the Five Points area, where three people were injured. Police said the incidents happened close together in time but were unrelated.
The distinction between the cases became important as officers worked two separate scenes during the same evening. Authorities have treated the School House Road deaths as their own investigation rather than as an extension of the Five Points shooting.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office released Noble’s and Harrell’s identities after authorities completed the process of confirming the victims. The office said both men were Columbia residents and tied their deaths to the shooting near School House Road and Two Notch Road.
Investigators have not publicly announced additional findings explaining why the confrontation occurred. The case remains under investigation, and police have said information may be released as more details are verified.
Author note: Last updated September 7, 2026.