Columbia teen charged in shooting death of 17-year-old

Jose Manuel Lopez III, 16, of Lawrence Street was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a minor and three counts of recklessly endangering another person after 17-year-old Wilfredo Garcia was shot in the head inside a Plane Street residence on July 18 and later died. Lopez initially denied being in the room but later told police he held the handgun, knew the magazine was loaded and pointed it at Garcia with his finger on the trigger; multiple people were present and two firearms were recovered. Judge Miles Bixler denied bail at a preliminary arraignment; the case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Callista Chartier and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.