Tyrone Grailford, a resident of Hopkins, South Carolina, has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm. The United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon imposed a sentence of 77 months, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. Grailford is not eligible for parole as he is serving a federal sentence.
The incident leading to Grailford's arrest occurred on December 12, 2021, when City of Columbia Police Department officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert on Fairfield Road. Upon arrival, officers found Grailford near a vehicle with an open passenger door. He claimed the gunshot sound came from another location. A spent shell casing was discovered on the ground close to where he stood, and a firearm was located on the vehicle's passenger seat.
Witness accounts contradicted Grailford's statement. They indicated that the gunshot emanated from the yard of the residence, with one witness observing Grailford near the vehicle immediately after the gunshot. When officers arrested Grailford, they found nine-millimeter ammunition in his pocket.
Grailford has a history of convictions, including burglary, assault and battery with the intent to kill, threatening the life of a public official, and domestic violence in the second degree. These offenses disqualify him from firearm possession under federal law.
The investigation benefited from the ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which helps link firearms from different crime scenes. The case forms part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaborative efforts across various levels of law enforcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, alongside the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is overseeing the prosecution.
