New Jersey man attempts to rob SC AA meeting.

**MichaelJ** · April 14th, 2009, 09:54 PM

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?...=72491&catid=2

Columbia (WLTX) - A New Jersey man has been shot and killed at an Alcoholics Anonymous center in South Carolina in what police say was a thwarted robbery.

The State newspaper reported that Columbia police said Sunday that a visitor to the AA center shot and killed the 18-year-old man who was trying to rob members there.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Kayson Helms of Edison, N.J., was shot in the neck, abdomen and chest.

Columbia Police say Helms walked into the meeting at 2015 College Street, the Acoa Club, at 11 p.m. Saturday night with a gun and demanded whatever those at the center had and was shot.

Helms was taken to Palmetto Richland where he later died.

Police did not identify the man who shot Helms, but said the individual had a concealed weapons permit.

So far, no charges have been filed.

**7998** · April 15th, 2009, 09:26 AM

See thats the reason we need more gun control.
If that man wasn't allowed to carry, he wouldn't have been able to shoot that poor 18 y/o kid.

**Tootie** · April 15th, 2009, 09:31 AM

Well we'll never here about this on the news. Citizen thwarts bad guy with a legal handgun.

**JoeWilliams** · April 15th, 2009, 09:43 AM

Columbia Police say Helms walked into the meeting at 2015 College Street, the Acoa Club, at 11 p.m. Saturday night with a gun and demanded whatever those at the center had and was shot.

That right there is gun control I can believe in.

**625** · April 15th, 2009, 10:14 AM

I guess this idiot forgot he wasn't in Jersey anymore. He probably would have successfully robbed those folks if he did this in Jersey since nobody would have had a permit to carry. Good riddance.

**david1** · April 15th, 2009, 10:17 AM

I cant wait to hear the spin the news puts on this story. "Innocent child is shot by alcoholic" That sounds like a good title the news papers might use. The truth is never heard about things like this. Good shooting!

**reverserboy** · April 15th, 2009, 10:17 AM

In NJ that likely would have been an easy robbery. This dead criminal didn't know how things are in SC. Oh well.....

I wonder if the Star Ledger will carry this story & if they do,how they'll spin it. Before anyone says "this happened in SC why would a NJ paper carry the story??"......NJ papers printed the story about the female college student murdered in Gettysburg.

**soup** · April 15th, 2009, 10:37 AM

Good to hear a positive CC story

**Mtbkski** · April 15th, 2009, 10:47 AM

+1 for the good guys.

**dodgefolks** · April 15th, 2009, 11:00 AM

I can see the anti's crying now, "why should an alcoholic be allowed to own/carry guns." Im sure they will put a very negative spin on it. Good job on the shooting however.