South Carolina

Woman charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, Columbia police say

Days after a man was shot and killed in South Carolina his girlfriend was charged with murder, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Toni Middleton, 56, also was charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, police said Monday night on social media.

The charges are connected to a fatal March 25 shooting, according to police. The Richland County Coroner’s Office identified 65-year-old Columbia resident Perry Buchanan as the victim.

Buchanan died from injuries he suffered in the shooting hours after he was found at the Gable Oaks Apartments complex, police said. That’s in the 900 block of Colleton Street, in a part of Columbia between North Main Street and Fairfield Road.

No other injuries were reported.

On Monday night, officers and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents located and arrested Middleton in North, South Carolina, according to police. She was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where she remains locked up as no bond has been set, jail records show.

The motive for the shooting, which police called an isolated incident, remains under investigation.

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This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 6:59 AM with the headline "Woman charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, Columbia police say."

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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