They had a prayer circle after church guard shot would-be robber, witness said

A prayer circle formed late Thursday night after a man who allegedly tried to rob an armed security guard was reportedly shot near a church.

“We all had a big circle of prayer and everything with everybody and just asked for healing in every aspect and to bless the community,” said Brooke Hucks, assistant director of the Grand Strand Baptist Church arts and crafts festival, who was at the church late Thursday setting up for a festival when the violence erupted.

Hucks and about three others were on church grounds, off U.S. 501 near Tanger Outlet, prepping for their first annual arts and crafts festival about 11 p.m. as an armed security guard, who is also a congregate there, kept watch over the group.

“He was approached by a young man in his vehicle and was asked for change and he was going to provide him with some change and when he did (the suspect) stuck a gun in his belly and said give me your wallet,” Hucks said.

The guard gave the man his wallet and pulled out his own gun during the incident, according to an Horry County police report, which states the suspect fired his gun, spraying the guard’s vehicle door with bullets.

The security guard is licensed to carry a gun, Hucks said. Gunfire was exchanged before the suspect’s gun jammed, and he took off toward Ruby Tuesday’s, where Hucks said a friend of his was.

“I saw them both fleeing to Ruby Tuesday’s. He was screaming ‘call 911!, call 911!’ I called 911,” said Hucks.

“At that time I made my way to the highway. I saw the suspect’s gun laying in the street. I could see at that time that there was a bullet lodged in the chamber sticking out,” she said, and added that she deterred traffic so the gun wouldn’t get run over.

She said the suspect was shot in the chest-area and arm, and was listed in stable condition about 4 a.m. Friday, but she didn’t know how he was later Friday morning. Krystal Dotson, Horry County police spokeswoman, said the victim’s condition was unknown.

Hucks said the suspect’s friends were in the area with tears in their eyes following the shooting. The church’s pastor came to the scene and heads bowed as those there formed a circle of prayer, Hucks said.

The church and pastor have been praying for the suspect and his family since the incident, said Hucks, who has attended the church for her entire life.

“We had prayer this morning for the suspect and his family and just wanted to get the support out there. Everyone makes decisions they regret in the moment, and we just pray that he comes through this and learns from the mistake that he made,” she said.

She said the suspect would be invited to worship with them.

The church’s festival will continue Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but with beefed up security, Hucks said.

Dotson, with HCPD, stated charges are pending for the suspect, but further information as to what they could be was not available.

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 10:54 AM with the headline "They had a prayer circle after church guard shot would-be robber, witness said."