Mass shooting in Myrtle Beach tourist hotspot leaves 11 injured, suspect killed by police
Mayor praises officer for saving lives, saying that ‘last night could have been so much worse’
At least 11 people were injured and one suspect was killed in an officer-involved mass shooting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department revealed on Facebook that officers responded to an incident at roughly 11:50 p.m. Saturday.
Officers “observed a disturbance involving multiple individuals” on North Ocean Boulevard, the statement said. One person fired a weapon during an “altercation,” prompting an officer to respond by discharging their firearm. The officer wasn’t injured, but the suspect died as a result of their injuries.
On Sunday, Horry County deputy coroner Tamara Willard identified the individual shot by police as Jerrius Davis, 18, from Bennettsville, according to News 13. Video obtained by the outlet shows people running from the scene as police approach the disturbance.
“In accordance with established protocol, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will conduct an independent investigation,” Myrtle Beach Police said on Facebook. “Simultaneously, the Myrtle Beach Police Department will carry out an internal review of the incident.”
“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,” Mayor Brenda Bethune told News13. “Last night could have been so much worse.”
The mayor said the eventual SLED report into the incident will be publicly released.
“Unfortunately, with social media, there’s going to be a lot of comments being said that are not true, and [people] trying to make more out of this, and we want to get the facts out so that people know what has happened,” she said.
The incident occurred in the city’s entertainment district at the start of the tourism season.
Washington, D.C. visitor Sebastian McMillon told News13 that he still plans to travel to Myrtle Beach in the future.
“There’s trouble all over the world, we can’t control that,” he told the local outlet. “So we just have to come and not let fear spoil our vacation. We still come here to enjoy the sights, enjoy the views, so I don’t feel threatened at all ... I’ve been coming here for years. I’ll still come.”
“It’s very unfortunate that people feel they need to solve their problems with guns, but it’s an isolated incident and not indicative of the reality that most Myrtle Beach visitors encounter,” added Councilman Gregg Smith.
Police Chief Amy Prock revealed last month that major crimes, such as homicides, burglaries, and aggravated assaults, have close to halved since 2015. She attributed the change to 248 newly installed cameras, larger neighborhood teams, and new technology, including acoustic gunshot detection, according to News13.
“This path is laid, and our foot is on the gas, I will tell you that,” Prock said at the time.
The mayor told the local station that she was on Ocean Boulevard at about 11 p.m. on Saturday night, and that she wouldn’t have been there if she had felt that it was unsafe.
“This was an isolated incident. We had a huge crowd on the boulevard late last night, and we can’t always control what people are going to do, but we also can’t just shut ourselves in and do nothing,” Bethune said. “This is a great place to visit. It’s not an unsafe place at all. And I’m not making light of what happened in any way.”
The mayor added that the SLED investigation would take about three weeks, and “there really won’t be a lot to discuss until we get the final report,” she said.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace said she was “devastated” by the news.
“Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach,” she wrote 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.”