2 men charged in downtown Myrtle Beach shooting were free on bond and faced curfews
Two suspects charged in the downtown Myrtle Beach shooting were free on bond and had curfews for earlier arrests.
Rival gangs from Chesterfield County exchanged gunfire on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach around 7:15 p.m. Sunday. The shooting has garnered social media attention from across the country and was condemned by city leaders.
The shooting happened in the 1100 block of North Ocean Boulevard in one of the most popular tourist stretches. The area was packed as people enjoyed the sights. Last weekend was the first time hotels could take new reservations after coronavirus restrictions.
Myrtle Beach police arrested seven people in connection to the incident. They are:
- Anthony Deantez Griffin, 17, of Pageland, with seven counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and unlawful carrying of a pistol.
Quandre Tyson, 20, of Pageland, with seven counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and unlawful carrying of a pistol.
Dewan Cole, 18, of Kershaw, with seven counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and unlawful carrying of a pistol.
Tristan Jackson, 18, of Monroe, North Carolina, was charged with disorderly conduct and giving false information.
An unnamed juvenile was also charged in the case.
- Dennis Dashawn Stewart, 20, of Cheraw, was arrested in Chesterfield County on Tuesday for eight counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and unlawful carrying of a pistol.
- Antonio Trayvon Brown Jr, 22, of Cheraw, was charged with eight counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and unlawful carrying of a pistol.
Several people were injured in the shooting, though none of their injuries are believed to be life-threatening. A victim’s advocate said all the victims have been released from the hospital. One victim was shot in the shoulder, another victim had a bullet graze her spine.
The suspects
Two suspects — Tyson and Brown — were both free on bond in Chesterfield County at the time of the shooting, according to online court records.
Tyson currently has four pending charges, including first-degree burglary from 2018. In 2019, police charged him with armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.
He had a $35,000 bond set in the 2018 case and was also given a 6 p.m curfew. He has a total bond of $50,000 for the 2019 cases.
According to arrest warrants for the armed robbery, Tyson, while armed with a pistol, robbed a man of his pistol.
Brown has more than a dozen pending charges in Chesterfield County dating back to 2018.
In November, police charged him with attempted murder. Bond on that charge was set at $50,000 with a 6 p.m. curfew, according to court records. Other charges include drug counts and damaging a jail.
According to his arrest warrant for the attempted murder, Brown filed several shots at two people inside a Chesterfield County home.
None of the other suspects have criminal histories in Chesterfield County.
Cole is an active member of the U.S. Navy who was stationed on the U.S.S. Eisenhower, according to records provided by the Navy.
He enlisted in June 2019 and serves as a fireman’s apprentice.
Cole also attended the recruit training command in Illinois.
Bond set for suspect
Tyson appeared in Myrtle Beach municipal court on Tuesday for bond hearings on their charges in connection to the shooting.
Myrtle Beach police Detective Chris White said the two groups fired across Ocean Boulevard from each other. He noted a baby was almost shot in the cross fire.
“The weather was nice, there was lots of people out,” White said. “The defendant was indiscriminately shooting.”
Defense attorney Blaine Massey said there was an incident earlier in the day at the Coastal Grand Mall. Massey said his client was struck in the head while tending for his child. Hours later, people started firing at Tyson on Ocean Boulevard, and Tyson returned fire.
Judge Clifford Welsh denied Tyson bond in the case.
Griffin was also scheduled to appear in bond court, but the judge closed to proceeding, calling Griffin a juvenile.
The Sun News argued for access and noted that Myrtle Beach police said Griffin was charged as an adult and released his name. State code also specifically notes that 17-year-olds charged with felonies punishable by at least 15 years in prison are not juveniles.
Still, Welsh said he would err on the side of caution and deny access to Griffin’s hearing. He did allude to denying Griffin’s bond.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 4:28 PM.
