Beaufort County, Georgia (WSAV) – Four people were killed and at least 20 others were injured after an overnight shooting in a crowded bar on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, authorities confirmed.
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened around 1 a.m. Sunday at Willie’s Bar and Grill, where at least 100 people were gathered.
A number of people were found with gunshot wounds. BCSO confirmed at least 20 people were injured during the shooting. Four people were taken to the hospital in critical condition, while some bullet victims arrived at the hospital alone.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene. The identities of the victims were not revealed.
“Several victims and witnesses ran to nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gunshot wounds,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on the X social media platform.
“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone. We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones,” the statement read.
BCSO said it is “investigating persons of interest,” but did not release any additional details.
“Screaming, panic and fear,” bar owner Willy Toral said, describing the shooting. He was inside when he heard gunfire outside the bar. “These things went off in bursts.”
The bar was packed for an event for graduates of Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, about 10 miles northwest of St. Helena Island, Toral said. He said people were having a good time when they heard the gunfire.
“It was scary from the inside, as people didn’t know what was really going on outside, and people were trying to get to safety,” he said.
An estimated 5,000 or more people living on St. Helena Island are descendants of slaves who worked on rice plantations in the area before they were freed by the Civil War.
Willie’s Bar and Grill advertises itself as serving authentic Gullah-inspired cuisine.
“We are not just a restaurant, but a community pillar committed to giving back, especially to our youth,” he says on his website.
The pub recently hosted an event called “One Gallah Nation,” an art exhibition that includes storytelling and poetry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.