Shooting: Police say ‘rival gang members’ brought their ‘ongoing issue’ to Myrtle Beach
Rival gang members with an “ongoing issue” were involved in a shooting that injured several people along Myrtle Beach’s Ocean Boulevard on Sunday evening, police say.
“Today, officers continue to evaluate evidence and conduct interviews related to last night’s incident,” according to a statement from Myrtle Beach Police Department. “Our ongoing investigation has revealed that the involved individuals have been identified as rival gang members who had an ongoing issue in their home community of Chesterfield County, South Carolina, traveled to Myrtle Beach, and continued their conflict with their reckless acts in our community.”
Myrtle Beach police went to the 1100 block of North Ocean Boulevard for a report of gunshots around 7:15 p.m., Cpl. Thomas Vest said. The area is near several attractions, including Ripley’s and the Skywheel.
Vest said several injuries were reported, but none are believed to be life-threatening. Officers detained four people in the shooting’s aftermath.
MBPD’s statement went on to say, “We want to make it clear that this behavior endangered the lives of members of our community and our visitors, and we will not allow it. We have a dedicated team of police officers who are committed to the safety of our community, strong law enforcement partnerships, and a network of nearly 1,000 cameras and license plate readers to help us identify violators. We will use every resource at our disposal to identify every person involved, and they will be held responsible for their criminal actions.”
Since the shooting was reported, Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune posted to Facebook stating crime and violence will not be tolerated. “Our community deserves better, our residents deserve better and our businesses deserve better,” Bethune wrote.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact police at 843-918-1382.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 1:39 PM.
