A Lexington County jury has convicted Jonathan Russell Saylor, 36, in connection with a 2023 shooting at a West Columbia hotel, finding him guilty of two counts of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied building, possession of a machine gun, and possession of methamphetamine. The incident occurred at the Hilton Inn and Gardens on McSwain Drive in January 2023.
What happened during the shooting
West Columbia police responded to a disturbance call and tried to get Saylor and his girlfriend to leave the hotel room after check‑out, at the request of the hotel manager due to a prior domestic incident. Saylor refused, armed himself with an AR‑style machine gun, and began firing into the hallway where officers were stationed. He later shot three rounds into a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent’s truck, prompting the agent to return fire and strike Saylor in the upper left hip.
Trial and sentence
Saylor remained barricaded in the room for several hours before officers used a K‑9 unit to capture him around 7 p.m. Authorities recovered the weapon, 25 spent shell casings matching the firearm, and methamphetamine from the room. He was initially held at the Lexington County Detention Center without bond and later sentenced to 25 years in prison on the attempted murder charges, with no parole eligibility.
