Ocean Blvd shooting docs released after records request. Here’s what they say
It’s been almost two months and the majority of public records requests to try and find out more about why and how city officials handled the aftermath of a fatal shooting are still in process.
A fatal shooting on Ocean Boulevard in downtown Myrtle Beach killed 18-year-old Jerrius Davis and left 11 others injured nearly two months ago. A few were released, and they help show what happened in the shooting’s aftermath.
Since that night in April, the Myrtle Beach Police Department released an edited video of what happened, but some of the other corresponding documents have not been released despite being requested under public record laws.
Days after the shooting transpired, The Sun News submitted seven Freedom of Information Act requests to multiple local agencies, including the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County and the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance.
As of Thursday afternoon, letters and video from the MBPD and emails and texts from the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance were the only ones that had been completed with no charge.
What else has the police department released?
The Myrtle Beach Police Department released redacted copies of the letters sent to the three officers — Brandon O’Rourke, Mohamad El-Kelwi and Jeramiah Johnson — who were placed on administrative leave following the shooting.
Personnel files for the three officers remain in process.
Days after the shooting, police chief Amy Prock and Mayor Brenda Bethune held a press conference for local media where they read from statements.
“During the incident, eleven individuals were injured as a result of gunshots, and they were treated,” Prock said during the press conference.
Immediately following the press conference, city spokesperson Meredith Denari said that Prock had misspoke, according to previous Sun News reporting.
Denari clarified the chief’s statement in an email to the Sun News after the press conference.
“Eleven people have gunshot-related injuries,” her email read. “That does not mean eleven people were shot.”
Later via email when asked for copies of Prock and Bethune’s written statements from the press conference, Denari wrote that she did not have them.
“It also seemed to me they spoke from the heart, so whatever was written would not be all-comprehensive of what they said,” her email read. “The news conference is available on our YouTube channel if you would like to transcribe their comments.”
A subsequent Freedom of Information Act request for copies of those written statements was filed and is still in process.
A separate request asking for a copy of police chief Amy Prock’s schedule the week following the shooting, from April 28 to May 2, hasn’t been completed yet. Prior reporting states that Prock’s department took at least three days to edit the video before releasing it to the public a month after the fatal shooting happened.
What happened with the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance post shooting?
Emails and text messages between MBDA’s President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Greene and board members show that the organization postponed their April 29 Spring Business Summit as a result of the shooting.
“We’re going to reschedule the business summit to Wednesday, May 7th at 10:00am. . .same place,” a text from Greene to assistant city manager Brian Tucker read.
A different group text to MBDA board member William Miller and two business owners, Greg London and Gina Trimarco from Greene talks about the meeting’s postponement.
“We are postponing it 1 week to get answers to questions we have fielded since yesterday,” part of Greene’s text to the group read.
At the time, Greene declined The Sun News’s request for comment when asked why the summit was postponed following the shooting.
Did Horry County or Myrtle Beach release texts & emails?
As of Thursday afternoon, no texts or emails about the Ocean Boulevard shooting have been released to The Sun News, despite public record requests to do so.
An additional request to the City of Myrtle Beach for copies of emails and text messages between City Council, Mayor Brenda Bethune, City Manager Fox Simons, Tucker and Assistant City Manager Josh Bruegger following the fatal shooting has also been filed. That request is still in process.
The Sun News has also requested all emails and text messages to Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey in the days leading up to and after the fatal Ocean Boulevard shooting. That request was still being processed as of Thursday.
Unlike with the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, the county and the city are charging for copies of emails and texts.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
