Four people were killed and at least 20 hurt, four critically, when gunfire broke out during a large gathering at a popular bar-restaurant on South Carolina’s St. Helena Island early Sunday, authorities said.
The gunfire broke out just before 1 a.m. at Willie’s Bar and Grill on the island popular for its historic sites, idyllic seaside settings and family-owned shops and restaurants. Beaufort County sheriff’s office deputies responded to “multiple reports” of shots fired to find “a large crowd of people, several of which were suffering from gunshot wounds,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Witnesses told him hundreds of people had been at the gathering.
“Multiple victims and witnesses ran to the nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gunshots,” and several were taken to hospitals, the office said. “More victims continued to show up at area hospitals seeking medical attention from injuries sustained at the scene.”
Four people were declared dead at the scene, and four were hospitalized in critical condition. Overall, 20 people were hurt, though not all of them by gunfire. Authorities did not immediately disclose the victims’ names, pending notification of kin, and said the sheriff’s office has its eye on some persons of interest.
“I heard a lot of shots,” restaurant cook Henry Wright told The Island Packet. The shooting happened outside the bar, he said, which sent everyone inside fleeing out the back. One of the four dead fell at the front steps, two more were on the ground in front of the bar, and the fourth died near a tree on the grounds, Wright told the outlet, noting one of them appeared to be a teen girl.
AP Photo/Lewis M. Levine
A vehicle is parked outside of Willie’s Bar and Grill in St Helena Island, S.C. after a shooting occurred early Sunday. (AP Photo/Lewis M. Levine)
“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone,” the sheriff’s office said. “We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) declared herself “completely heartbroken” over the “devastating shooting” in a post on X. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence.”
This was the latest in a wave of recent, unrelated shootings, including two in Mississippi in which a total of eight people were killed Saturday during high school homecoming weekends in Heidelberg and Leland.
Less than a month ago, a gunman on a boat cruised past a popular waterfront spot, the American Fish Company in historic Southport, N.C., opened fire, killing three and injuring five.
With News Wire Services
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