Latest news with #JerriusDavis
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Shooting inside popular downtown Myrtle Beach restaurant leaves one person dead
A shooting inside Peaches Corner, a downtown restaurant, has left one person dead, according to Myrtle Beach Police. This is the third shooting that has taken place in the popular tourist section of Myrtle Beach's Ocean Boulevard within months. A mass shooting in April left one person dead and 11 others injured. An altercation between an employee and another person occurred about 11:15 p.m. Friday inside Peaches Corner, 900 N. Ocean Blvd., a Facebook post from police said. Two people suffered gunshot wounds. One person died and the other was transported to the hospital for a non-life threatening injury, the post said. The name of the person killed has not been released. One person is in custody. Additional details about the shooting have not been released. Earlier this month Myrtle Beach Police responded to a shooting near the intersection of 9th Avenue North and North Ocean Boulevard, near Peaches Corner. The shooting again happened about the same time as Friday's shooting, about 11:55 p.m., according to police. After an altercation, several shots were fired and one individual sustained a gunshot wound. That shooting came after an officer-involved shooting on April 26, 2025, in the 900 block of North Ocean Boulevard. A Myrtle Beach Police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Jerrius Davis, who allegedly fired into a crowd of people on a busy walk which prompted police to return fire. Eleven others were injured in the shooting. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is currently investigating the shooting. Safety along the Boulevard has long been a concern of both residents and visitors who come into the city. Recent shootings have only increased the concern, especially now that the city is in its summer tourist season. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown Myrtle Beach employees say armed teenagers disrupt tourist district
Teenagers and young adults who come to downtown Myrtle Beach to party have become a public safety issue, business owners and employees said. The group will walk up and down the strip while not patronizing businesses, said a beach store owner who we will call Tom. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. The teenagers, who bring their guns, stand in front of his building and block customers while often drinking and smoking cigarettes or marijuana. Tom stated he feared retaliation from city officials if he spoke out against the city leaders. Other store owners declined to be interviewed, citing the same reason. At best, these teens are an annoyance; at worst, they are unpredictable young adults with deadly weapons. On April 26 at about 11:50 p.m., Jerrius Davis, 18, shot four rounds into a group on North Ocean Boulevard near Mr. Fries, a Myrtle Beach Police video shows. In response, officer Brandon O'Rourke shot five rounds, which killed the Bennettsville teenager. In total, 11 people were hurt in the shooting. It's unclear how many injuries were caused by Davis, as at least one person said she was allegedly shot by a Myrtle Beach police officer, The Sun News reported. When The Sun News asked employees if downtown feels safe or dangerous, we got a variety of responses. One gift shop employee said he is from New York City and he has seen much worse, while Tom said people have flashed their guns at him in a threatening manner. 'It's kids with weapons, guns, thinking they can do whatever they want, that they are immune. It has a strong effect on the locals,' Tom said. Downtown employees had different responses on the crime in downtown Myrtle Beach and the city's reaction. Some applauded the local police officers, stating that they respond quickly when the boulevard turns ugly, while others blamed the increase in police presence for a drop in sales. The traffic loop, which shuts down the left-bound lane of North Ocean Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, is the most controversial. Gustavo Alonso, who works at a gift shop on North Ocean Boulevard, said closing the lane causes the store to lose customers but he also does not blame police. 'I can't think of something else to do,' Alonso said. Other employees, who declined to give their names, said the increased number of officers may scare away vacationers. There were a few police officers out at 6 p.m., but more appeared as the night went on. Tom and Keko Henry, the manager at Shopicana Resort Wear, said they have been working with police to improve safety. For example, officers advised them to leave their lights on at night to deter people from standing outside the stores after hours. Depending on the night, some stores will close early. Alonso said if it is too rowdy, he will shut down the store. 'During these times, we'd be closing around 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock. But since spring break, we have been closing at like 10 o'clock. 11 o'clock is pushing it,' Tom said. The summer season has not begun, but Tom and Alonso said they have fewer customers than normal, although they do not blame this on the recent shooting. Tom said his sales had been declining prior to the shooting. This is again blamed on the crowds. Alonso said he worries the large crowds of young people may scare away other tourists. Tom and Alonso also blamed their lack of sales on the ban on vapes and drug paraphernalia in downtown Myrtle Beach. They said CBD products and pipes used to be popular items. In an attempt to make the city more family-friendly in 2018, city council voted to ban the sale of these items on Ocean Boulevard from 6th Avenue South to 16th Avenue North, The Sun News reported. In a press conference following the April shooting, Myrtle Beach Mayor Bethune said she does not want cheap motel rooms and sexually explicit T-shirts attracting the wrong kind of person to the city. Tom disagreed with this, stating that inappropriate t-shirts are not the real issue. 'I don't think any business selling a shirt that says 'I heart country boys' or 'Henny-thing can happen' or any of those sorts is affecting what's going on out there,' Tom said. 'What needs to be monitored is kids are walking around drunk with bottles of liquor.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Officer-involved shooting on Ocean Boulevard deemed ‘justifiable homicide,' police report shows
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A Myrtle Beach police officer's use of deadly force to stop a man from shooting into a large crowd along Ocean Boulevard last month was ruled a 'justifiable homicide' by the agency. The Myrtle Beach Police Department on Friday released incident reports stemming from the April 16 incident at 913 S. Ocean Blvd. that left 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville dead and 11 others injured. 'During the altercation, one of the individuals began firing a weapon. At that time, based on the immediate threat, an officer responded by discharging their firearm,' the incident report states. 'The individual shot during the officer's response has passed away as a result of his injuries.' The report doesn't name which officer fired at Davis. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating, as is standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting. The confrontation was at least the 25th instance of gun violence along Ocean Boulevard since 2020, according to a News13 analysis. Officials said days after the shooting that three officers are on paid leave. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Some Ocean Boulevard businesses closing earlier on weekends after deadly officer-involved shooting
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Some businesses on Ocean Boulevard are closing earlier on weekends for safety reasons, following the Myrtle Beach police officer-involved shooting in April. Myrtle Beach police say just before midnight on April 26, 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville fired shots into a crowd of people between 9th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard. An officer shot and killed Davis. Eleven people were injured during the shooting, including 15-year-old Serenity Chavis, who claims she was hit by an officer's bullet. An employee at a clothing and gift shop called Generationx, who wanted to remain anonymous, says the store has not changed its hours since the shooting. However, she says she needs to stay safe at work, for her children at home and her fellow employees. 'What I really think about is the people injured, and how that could've been me or one of my employees,' she said. 'That right there, alone, put a little bit of fear in my little heart.' The employee says that before the shooting, she would leave the store around midnight. Now, she leaves at 9 p.m. With peak tourism season just around the corner, the employee is worried the shooting may mean fewer customers and less money this year. 'Is it going to really stop the flow?' she asked. 'That's really what everybody's questioning at the moment. I pray that it don't.' The employee is also concerned that visitors are learning about the shooting and thinking they are not safe shopping downtown. 'We should be able to thrive a little bit better,' she said. 'Well, we should be able to, if people would put that a little bit to the side. It really don't have nothing to do with the businesses. You got to look at other stuff, not the businesses.' News13 spoke to employees at Myrtle Beach Fries and Boardwalk Paradise General Store, who are temporarily closing their stores earlier on weekends because of the shooting. They did not want to talk on-camera. One Myrtle Beach Fries employee says she is closing earlier, but only until tourism season begins on Memorial Day Weekend. Boardwalk Paradise General Store is also closing a few hours earlier, until they receive more information about the shooting from the city and police department. News13 also spoke to Governor Henry McMaster at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic Pro-Am on Wednesday. He says both businesses and their customers should feel safe on Ocean Blvd. 'They should realize that these things happen all over the place,' McMaster said. 'They don't happen here like they do in other places. We have great law enforcement. I would say be smart, be careful, and have a good time. I think they'll be very pleased with their visit.' A city spokesperson sent News13 a statement that said, in part, 'I don't think the decision of two businesses is reflective of the dozens of businesses in operation along this area of Ocean Boulevard.' She also said it is normal for business hours to change closer to the start of tourism season, and that the Myrtle Beach Police Department will have a strong presence on Ocean Boulevard. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
3 Myrtle Beach officers on paid leave after deadly Ocean Boulevard shooting; photos show chaotic scene
Editor's note: This story contains graphic photos that some readers might find disturbing. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — As News13 obtained new photos showing the chaotic scene of Saturday night's deadly officer-involved shooting on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, a police spokesman said three officers had been placed on paid administrative leave, the department's standard protocol after such an incident. Eighteen-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville died in the shooting that also left 11 other people with injuries. The investigation has been turned over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which authorities said is also standard protocol. Authorities have yet to describe the other injuries. Myrtle Beach police require 'complex' investigation of all officer-involved shootings The shooting happened shortly before midnight at 913 N. Ocean Blvd., the Horry County Coroner's Office said. That's the address for Ripley's Mirror Maze. On Monday, News13 obtained graphic photos of the scene from a viewer, who asked to remain anonymous. The images show multiple officers and medical personnel treating two people near each other on the sidewalk, a man who is surrounded by three first responders and a woman who appears to have a leg injury. Police on Monday also addressed how the department handles its staff capacity on weekends throughout the year. Deadly officer-involved shooting at least 25th instance of gun violence on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach since 2020 'During anticipated busier weeks and weekends, we proactively address the increased demand on public safety personnel by up-staffing internally and coordinating with outside agencies in our area,' the spokesperson said. 'These partnerships allow us to enhance our presence and maintain quick response times.' The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau also released the following statement about the shooting late Monday afternoon. 'We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred late Saturday night on Ocean Boulevard,' Tracy Conner, the chamber's interim president and CEO, said in the statement. 'Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected, and we are grateful for the swift response from law enforcement and emergency personnel. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB continues to coordinate closely with city leaders, public safety officials and our tourism partners. The safety and well-being of our visitors and residents is always our top priority. '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.' Count on News13 for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.