At least 11 people have been injured and one suspect has been killed in an officer-involved 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. on Saturday.
Officers “observed a disturbance involving multiple individuals” on North Ocean Boulevard, the statement said. One person began firing their weapon during the “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.
“In accordance with established protocol, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will conduct an independent investigation,” the 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 would still come to Myrtle Beach in the future.
“There’s trouble all over the world, we can’t control that. 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,” he told the local station. “I’ve been coming here for years. I’ll still come.”
Councilman Gregg Smith added that “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.”
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,” said Prock at the time. “I look at my team, and I look at our community. We work together. We may not always get along, and we may not always agree, but I will tell you this: we work hard, and we work together, and we find a way to make a difference.”
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,” said Bethune. “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, saying that “There really won’t be a lot to discuss until we get the final report.”
Nikki Petracco visited the city along with her daughter Aurora, telling News13 that shootings are upsetting and may affect future vacation plans.
“Unfortunately, shootings are an everyday occurrence. They shouldn’t be, but they are, but it definitely makes you think twice before visiting a tourist area,” said Petracco.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace responded to the incident on X.
“Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach,” she wrote. “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.”
