Conway police arrest 2 in connection to murder near Coastal Carolina
Police charged a duo — who were both free on bond for other charges — with murder in connection to a weekend shooting near Coastal Carolina University.
Tyree Leonard Graham, 20, faces charges that include murder, two counts of attempted murder, third-offense shoplifting and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to J. Reuben Long Detention Center records. He was booked into jail on Saturday and is being held without bond.
Dorian Derrell Williams, 25, was charged with murder, two counts of attempted of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
According to Conway police reports, officers responded to the Cove Apartments on S.C. Highway 544 for a reported fight around 2 a.m. Saturday. While on the way, dispatchers told officers there were shots fired and one victim was in the nearby Circle K gas station parking lot.
Officers arrived and determined the shooting happened at The American Tavern, 702 S.C. 544, according to the report.
The Horry County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased victim as Jamarr White, 24, of Conway. He was shot twice in the upper body, according to arrest warrants.
One other victim was shot in the upper body and went to the hospital. Another person was only shot at and not struck, according to the warrants.
Neither of the people shot were CCU students, university officials said.
Before the alleged shooting, Graham was free on $5,000 bond from a May 2018 charge of possession with intent to deliver marijuana in Myrtle Beach, according to online court records. Williams was free on $7,500 bond for an assault of a high and aggravated nature charge in April 2018 out of Conway.
Student nearby shooting
Numerous CCU students were celebrating the first weekend of the traditional school year at nearby bars when the shooting happened, including Jennifer Branzell’s daughter.
“They heard pop, pop, pop, pop, four to five shots,” Branzell said. Her daughter did not want to talk about the incident.
The students ran across the street for cover and Branzell’s daughter helped shield another person in the confusion, her mother said. Branzell happened to wake up at 4 a.m. to see she had a text from her daughter about the shooting.
“It’s surreal,” Branzell said, “and I know it’s surreal to my daughter and her friends.”
While CCU did send out alerts to its community moments after the shooting, Branzell said they were vague and didn’t provide much information.
Branzell said she contacted CCU police, Conway police and Coastal Carolina University administrators on Saturday, but received very little information. She said she was more upset that the university provided few details to students and parents and offered no help for students that might have witnessed the shooting.
CCU officials did not respond to comment on those concerns in time for this report.
This story was originally published August 26, 2019 at 4:57 PM.
