Myrtle Beach officials say downtown is safe. Boardwalk employees disagree after shooting
During the day, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and North Ocean Boulevard feel safe, said the E-Z Eats Cafe manager Salvador Jacinto. Families mill around, patronizing local businesses like the beach stores and restaurants. But when the sun goes down, the vibe changes.
The streets fill with young adults who walk the strip or stand in groups on the sidewalk.
'There are too many people and a lot are young, dumb kids,' Jacinto said.
Over the weekend, a shooting left 11 people injured and 18-year-old Jerrius David dead, The Sun News reported. Witness Michael Howard said someone fired a gun, and then a Myrtle Beach Police Officer shot that person.
Three officers are on paid administrative leave following the shooting, said Myrtle Beach Police spokesperson Randolph Angotti in a release.
'When large crowds gather and rowdiness occurs, it is understandable that some people may feel uneasy, and that is not unique to Myrtle Beach. While we cannot control individual perceptions of safety, we want to assure everyone that the city remains fully committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all,' said Myrtle Beach spokesperson Meredith Denari in an email to The Sun News.
It's not just 'some people' feeling easy due to the rowdy crowds. For employees like Amy Carr, she says police have advised the business to close early due to activity in downtown Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach officials are also still withholding the names of the officers involved in the shooting.
Wacky T's manager Melissa Medina said the crowds can cause problems late at night. When something happens, such as a shooting or a fight, people will begin running, causing chaos. As clueless bystanders see people running, they join in, not knowing what is happening.
Myrtle Beach Police have attempted to mitigate these issues by shutting down the northbound lane of North Ocean Boulevard from Ninth Avenue North to 16th Avenue North on weekend nights, according to a Facebook post from the agency. The northbound lane is then used only for emergency vehicles.
This helps increase officer visibility and allows police to react to concerns faster, the social media post said.
'Proactive policing is at the heart of what the Myrtle Beach Police Department does – which is why officers were able to have such a quick response Saturday night,' Denari said.
'There's all the police present and it's still happening,' Jacinto said, referring to dangerous activity. He's worked along North Ocean Boulevard for nine years.
Jacinto said he doesn't know how to describe it, but there's a certain energy in downtown Myrtle Beach on some weekend nights. The bad vibes were felt the night of the April 26 shooting.
Carr said downtown Myrtle Beach was very busy Saturday night. She said she saw police officers trying to get crowds to leave Plyler Park at 10:30 p.m.
'I expected something to happen because of how bad it's been,' Carr said.
Jacinto said the feeling caused E-Z Eats Cafe to close at 10 p.m. instead of closing between 11 p.m. and midnight like usual on April 26.
Other businesses have changed their hours to close earlier, various employees said. Other businesses may make a sporadic decision to close early based on the crowds. For example, Jacinto said E-Z Eats Cafe closed at 10 p.m.
In the past, Medina and Carr said police have advised them to close their business early based on the activity along North Ocean Boulevard.
Right now, business has slowed down as the spring break season ended and the summer season has not yet began, Carr said.
The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau Interim President and CEO Tracy Conner offered the following in a Monday afternoon email, 'We understand that incidents like this are concerning. However, Myrtle Beach is a safe and welcoming place for all. Public safety and tourism go hand in hand, and we support ongoing collaboration to ensure both remain strong. While any act of violence is unsettling, we remain confident in the strength of our community and the resilience of the Myrtle Beach brand. Visitor sentiment remains strong, and although Easter shifted travel patterns slightly this year, overall spring visitation has been healthy and we are anticipating a strong summer season.
Our visitor services teams are active in the market and available to assist guests with questions or concerns.'
Medina, though, said she feels nervous about the upcoming summer.
'I anticipate it to be worse in the summer,' Medina said.
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