At least one person was killed and 11 others were wounded in a mass shooting in a popular tourist area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Saturday night.
Authorities said officers “observed a disturbance involving multiple individuals” at around 11:50 p.m. on North Ocean Boulevard, and one person began to fire a weapon.
An officer then responded by opening fire, and in the process, shot one person, who died from their injuries, according to police.
The person shot dead by the officer was identified as Jerrius Davis, 18, of Bennettsville, South Carolina, Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard told WSPA.
“Our officer saw what happened, and when he saw that an altercation was taking place and a gun was being shot, the officer responded very quickly and in my opinion, saved lives,” she told the outlet. “Last night could have been so much worse.”
The shooting broke out near the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not just off the beach.
Dramatic video circulating on social media shows a person lying face down on the sidewalk being restrained by two officers.
A woman can be seen grabbing her leg and yelling as two officers appear to provide aid to her.
“I remember hearing gunfire shots just start going off everywhere,” eyewitness Michael Howard told ABC 15. “I remember seeing a girl fall that had been injured, I remember seeing the guy who had been shot fall to the ground.
“I seen blood everywhere. It was just very traumatizing,” he added.
The cause of the shooting is still unknown, but at around 10:30 p.m. another witness said they were on the street with their families when they heard someone yell “gun,” causing people to flee, the Sun News reports.
After taking his niece back to the hotel, one witness said he came back out and saw the person fire his weapon and an officer shoot him.
“I saw the guy fall over dead in front of me,” the witness said. “I remember bullets ringing in my ears.””The Myrtle Beach Police Department offers its prayers and deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this incident,” the department said in a statement.
Police will also carry out an internal review of the shooting.
“We appreciate the public’s patience as both investigations proceed, and all leads are thoroughly examined,” the department said.
North Ocean Boulevard remained closed between Eighth Avenue and 16th Avenue on Sunday morning, will police tape lining the roadway until the road reopened in the afternoon, the Sun News reported.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), whose district is down the shore from Myrtle Beach, responded to news of the shooting.
“Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach,” she said in a post on X. “Our hearts are torn apart for the victims and their families. South Carolina stands strong, and we will not tolerate violence of any sort in our communities. God bless the first responders on the scene.”
