Ohio man died when car shot 20 times, family says. Myrtle Beach police says it’s justified
Aaron Holston Jr. had been to Myrtle Beach before, coming to the area to vacation with his brothers.
But his family had no idea that he had returned to the coastal city in February until they received a phone call letting them know that the 23-year-old, who the family called AJ, was dead.
The Pickerington, Ohio, man had been shot and killed Feb. 4 while sitting in his vehicle outside the Driftwood by Sea Mist Resort at 1207 S. Ocean Blvd.
The shooter, according to family, was a resort security guard, who allegedly fired 20 rounds into Holston’s vehicle.
Holston is accused of hitting the security guard with his vehicle after he was asked to move from a handicap parking space in the resort’s parking lot, family said. Another person was also injured that night, but Myrtle Beach Police have not said who.
There are two police reports; however, they offer few details about what happened that night.
Both say there was an altercation in the resort parking lot before the shooting. But when it comes to describing the incident, the reports tell a different story: One lists Holston’s death as justifiable homicide, while the other appears to place the blame on the Ohio man – identifying the incident as aggravated assault with a motor vehicle.
Myrtle Beach Police have not offered answers about the shooting, instead saying that the case is under investigation. No arrests have been made.
The case, however, has raised questions for Holston’s family, mainly how police have determined the shooter was justified if the case is still under investigation.
It also appears that the only survivor of the two who were involved is providing information to investigators.
“How can you not give a good amount of time to investigate?” said Taralyn Sanders, AJ’s aunt. “He’s a young Black man. You don’t want to be one of the statistics, but wow, just like that? Losing someone is bad, but the way that it’s happened, it’s unbearable.”
‘He was a very caring young man’
Holston was No. 5 of nine kids. Sanders describes him as a “very soothing person.”
“He was a calm person, always checked on everybody by asking, ‘You good?’” when he greeted someone or when he would leave, she said. “He was a very caring young man.”
Holston also had a sweet tooth. Sanders said he loved snacks, often loading up on cookies and potato chips. “We would call him a little ‘snack head,’” she said.
Holston’s funeral service was held on Feb. 20 – what would have been his 24th birthday – at the same funeral home where his mother’s services were conducted.
Holston’s mother was killed at the hands of his father in 2018. Aaron T. Holston was convicted of stabbing to death Angela Willoughby at their Columbus, Ohio, home.
AJ Holston, who was 17 at the time, was home when the stabbing occurred.
After his mother’s death, AJ became the centerpiece for his other siblings, Sanders said.
She said that Holston has struggled with her death and the fact his father is now in prison. He was still trying to figure some things out, she said.
Holston was beginning the process of getting his CDL license so he could become a truck driver and going back to college to further his education. The young man loved to drive, and although no one knew that he took that trip to Myrtle Beach, it wasn’t unusual, Sanders said.
“Driving was very therapeutic for him,” she said.
Questions about shooting unanswered
Myrtle Beach Police responded to the shooting at 10:27 p.m., according to police. The report listed two people as receiving injuries, one of which was fatal.
After receiving the notification of Holston’s death, some family members drove to Myrtle Beach to meet with the investigating detective.
They were told that AJ was sitting in his vehicle, parked in a handicap space, and was asked to leave. An argument ensued and his vehicle was shot multiple times.
Video footage shows that Holston never left his vehicle, Sanders said. She also claims that no disturbance could be seen and that Holston was driving away.
The family believes he was alone, and apparently, he didn’t have any weapons, Sanders said.
The information provided to police about what happened appears to have come from the shooter, according to reports. The reports do not say if other witnesses could explain what occurred.
The shooter was apparently working for Global Investigative Services Security and Investigations in Myrtle Beach. When asked to comment about the shooting, the company’s president, Robert Todd, said by email, “At this time, we respectfully decline to provide a comment.”
The family hopes for additional answers, and the investigation continues, including getting more than one side of the story. Sanders said it’s hard to believe that the case seems to have already been decided.
“The justice system is so appalling,” Sanders said. “Nothing in the courts goes that fast. You get more time to pay a ticket.”
Myrtle Beach Police spokesperson Randolph Angotti said by text Monday that there are no pending charges in regards to the case or investigation at this time. Police have not provided answers to questions asked by The Sun News even after multiple requests.
The family still has many questions, such as why the person didn’t call the police or get Holston’s license plate number and issue a ticket. But the biggest is why the shooter resorted to firing 20 rounds into AJ’s vehicle.
“What threat was he posing?” Sanders said. “It’s just been sickening. … Why would you just assume they’re a threat? We are hoping for some kind of justice.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
