Hopkins Man Who Discharged a Firearm in the Columbia City Limits Sentenced to Federal Prison

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tyrone Grailford, 41, of Hopkins, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Dec. 12, 2021, the City of Columbia Police Department officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at a residence on Fairfield Road. When officers arrived Grailford was standing near the open passenger side door of a vehicle and told officers the gunshot came from another location. Officers detained Grailford and found a spent shell casing on the ground near where he was standing. Officers also found a firearm sitting on the passenger’s seat of the vehicle.

Witnesses confirmed the gunshot came from the yard of the Fairfield Road residence and one witness who heard the gunshot saw Grailford standing near the passenger’s side of the vehicle immediately after. Officers placed Grailford under arrest and found a box of 9mm ammunition in his pocket.

Grailford has prior convictions for burglary, assault and battery with intent to kill, threatening the life of a public official, and domestic violence second degree, all of which prohibit him from possessing a firearm under federal law.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Grailford to 77 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

###