Mass shooting on Little River party boat could have been prevented, victims claim
.jpeg "Horry County Police and Horry County Fire Rescue responded to a shooting on Watson Avenue in Little River late Sunday, May 25, 2025. Police reported that 11 people were transported to the hospital after a shooting that took place on a party boat. Now, four of the victims have filed lawsuits.")
Four of the 10 people injured in a Little River party boat shooting on Memorial Day weekend are claiming in lawsuits filed Monday that the incident was preventable through adequate security measures.
The lawsuits, filed by Kalayla Bufkin, Jared Graham, Vinca Hanna and Kamya Bufkin, claim that Hurricane Fleet LLC, Little River Campground Inc., Jacklyn Bellamy, Griselda Redd and Meek Bell were negligent in their hiring and supervision practices on the boat. According to the lawsuit, the party boat allowed underage drinking and encouraged excessive alcohol consumption which led to altercations causing the shooting on May 25.
The Sun News contacted Hurricane Fleet on Wednesday morning, but the employee working in the office was unable to provide comment on the incident, and said nobody else was available to answer questions.
A message left with Jacklyn Bellamy on Wednesday morning did not yield a response prior to publication.
More than 120 people were on board the docked private charter boat when the shooting took place around 9 p..m. Police said at the time that 10 people were shot and another suffered a different injury. Neighbors initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before seeing an estimated 50 police officers flock to the scene, The Sun News previously reported.
Horry County Police labeled the incident a mass shooting.
The party was being hosted by “Jackie O,” and left from docks near Watson Avenue, The Sun News previously reported.
Lawsuit allegations
The lawsuits claim that the company allowed a minor and several people under the age of 21 to drink on the party boat, and promoted excessive intoxication among party attendees.
This overconsumption of alcohol is what catalyzed fights that led to the shooting, the lawsuit claims.
One of the fights took place after an unsecured speaker fell from the second deck, hitting a woman on the first deck, the lawsuit alleges.
In addition, the lawsuit says that the shooting could have been foreseen and prevented by the employment of reasonable security measures by the company. Instead, the plaintiffs say the company operates “without taking safety seriously.”
The lawsuit claims that multiple crimes, including murders and robberies, had recently taken place in the area, and the company was put “on notice” about these crimes, but still failed to adequately promote safety.
The company was also told prior to the incident that it needed to come up with a plan for employee training and supervision, but failed to do so, the lawsuit claims.
The plaintiffs are suing for various damages related to the incident, including lost wages and medical bills. Hurricane Fleet and its owners were given 30 days to respond to the complaints.
Arrests were made
Shawon Shamarion Williams, 19, was charged in May with multiple counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after the incident.
A personal injury lawyer representing the victims of the shooting claimed in June that she believes two shooters were involved in the shooting, based on video surveillance and eyewitness accounts, The Sun News previously reported.
In June, an unnamed 16-year-old from North Carolina was also charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Williams was later charged with accessory after the fact in June. He remains in custody, jail records show.
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 10:49 AM.
