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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (BFMG) — A fight during a crowded Memorial Day weekend party cruise led to a shooting that injured 11 people as passengers disembarked from a boat in Little River, South Carolina, authorities said. One suspect has been arrested in the case, but victims say there are additional suspects and they don’t intend to release pressure on local police to find and arrest them.
The shooting occurred around 9:15 p.m. Sunday on a dock along the Intracoastal Waterway as about 120 people and four crew members were departing a private charter boat following a three-hour party cruise, Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt said Tuesday during a news conference.
According to Leonhardt, a dispute broke out on board the vessel and escalated into gunfire on the dock. Investigators believe only one individual opened fire. Ten people were shot, and one additional person was injured when a speaker fell on their head during the chaos.
Three of the injured remained hospitalized as of Tuesday but are expected to survive, Leonhardt said. According to reports, Jeremy Evans has since been discharged and is home looking forward to recovering from this traumatizing event that unfolded unexpectedly.
As of Thursday, no arrests had been made in connection to the shooting. Leonhardt noted that many people fled the scene in panic before law enforcement arrived, complicating the investigation. He declined to disclose what sparked the initial fight, the type of weapon used, or what evidence had been recovered.
“Items were recovered, but that’s part of the investigation, and we don’t want to release it at this time,” Leonhardt said.
The party took place aboard the Hurricane II, a vessel in a charter fleet based in Calabash, North Carolina. A flyer advertising the event promoted a DJ cruise set to end at 9 p.m. A woman who answered a phone number listed on the flyer told the Associated Press that she was distraught after witnessing the shooting but declined further comment. A representative from the boat’s parent company also refused to speak with reporters.
Randy Evans, speaking with a Charleston media outlet, said his 25-year-old son was shot in the ankle and toe but used his bathing suit as a makeshift tourniquet to assist more seriously wounded passengers. “The surgery was better than they expected,” Evans said. “He’s going to be OK.”
The investigation is further complicated by the fact that many attendees were from out of town and left the area before detectives could interview them, police said.
Authorities also confirmed that a North Myrtle Beach police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg while trying to launch a boat in response to the incident, which took place about 3 miles away from the scene.
Little River, located roughly 20 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, is a small coastal community known for its marinas, fishing charters, casino cruises, and dolphin tours.
On Thursday, authorities announced that 19-year-old Shawon Shamarion Williams had been taken into custody in Lake County, Illinois, near a U.S. naval station. He waived extradition and will be returned to South Carolina to face charges. Horry County police said Williams is expected to be charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Williams’ mother, Jacklyn Bellamy—who also helped organize the event—told News13 that her son is innocent but declined to answer further questions about his presence on the boat or whether he had been searched prior to boarding.
Anyone with information or evidence is urged to contact the Horry County Police Department by calling 843-915-8477 or emailing crimetips@horrycountysc.gov.
Portions of this report include information from the Associated Press.
