A Richland County man received a nine-year federal prison sentence Thursday after pleading guilty to firing at a Black neighbor in what prosecutors described as a racially motivated attack nearly one year earlier.
Federal prosecutors say 34-year-old Jonathan Andrew Felkel shot at the man on Brookspring Road in the Columbia area at about 6 a.m. on July 17, 2025. The victim was jogging in the gated community where both men lived, authorities said.
What prosecutors say happened
At a March 3, 2026, plea hearing, prosecutors said Felkel admitted to firing a gun and shouting a racial slur — telling the victim, “You better keep running, boy!” — while believing Black people were committing crimes in the neighborhood and assuming the jogger was a criminal because of his race.
“It’s sad that we’ve got individuals, like Felkel, who have hate in their heart,” the Richland County sheriff said in a news release.
Investigators from the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department handled the case, according to federal officials. An FBI special agent in charge said Felkel’s actions caused “irreparable harm” and emphasized the bureau’s commitment to community safety and enforcement of the Fair Housing Act when crimes are motivated by race or other protected characteristics.
Key dates and penalties
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 17, 2025 | Shooting of jogging resident in Columbia-area gated community |
| March 3, 2026 | Felkel pleads guilty to a federal charge |
| July 16, 2026 | Felkel sentenced to nine years in federal prison |
- Defendant: Jonathan Andrew Felkel, 34
- Charge: Federal hate-related charge tied to shooting
- Sentence: Nine years in federal prison
Local and federal officials framed the sentence as an example of cooperation between agencies and a firm response to crimes driven by bias. The Richland County sheriff’s office said the outcome demonstrates that such conduct will not be tolerated; the FBI reiterated that those who commit crimes based on race or other protected classes under the Fair Housing Act will face the full weight of the justice system.
The case is part of ongoing local and federal attention to bias-motivated crimes and community safety in Columbia and surrounding areas. The joint investigation by the FBI and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department culminated in the federal plea and the sentence delivered on the anniversary of the shooting.
Federal court records and the news release from the Richland County sheriff provided the details cited by prosecutors about statements Felkel made to law enforcement and in court acknowledging the racial motive behind the attack.
Reporting for this story relied on the federal prosecutor’s account and the news release from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office announcing the sentence.
