How safe is Market Common? Myrtle Beach Police investigate shooting. It’s not the first
During a high-speed police chase Thursday that appears to have included the Market Common area, four masked suspects allegedly fired at police.
It is unknown where the shots were fired. However, if a firearm was discharged in Market Common, this would be the first shooting in the city’s popular residential and entertainment neighborhood in over two years.
A shooting occurred at a high-end jewelry store two years ago after a person tried to rob the business.
It is unclear what the masked suspects were planning when police tried to stop them on Thursday. The chase began on South Ocean Boulevard near the Twilight Surf Motel, police said.
Police were in the Market Common area Thursday conducting an investigation. A significant portion of Farrow Parkway was also closed along with 67th Avenue North.
The last shooting in Market Common occurred Feb. 17, 2023 at Jacob the Jeweler, 981 Hacker St., according to The Sun News archives. Michael Perez entered the store, pulled out a loaded pistol and ordered staff to open the Rolex case.
The jewelry store owner saw Perez on security camera, came out from the back and began a gunfight with the armed robber, police said. The owner shot Perez once, causing him to drop his gun, according to previous reporting by The Sun News. Perez fired two shots but did not hit anyone.
Perez was injured and went to a local hospital, where Myrtle Beach Police found him. A Jacob the Jeweler employee also sustained a minor injury, police said.
In March 2024, Perez pleaded guilty to armed robbery was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Myrtle Beach Police said they approached a vehicle about 8:15 a.m. Thursday with four people inside wearing masks, Myrtle Beach Police wrote in a Facebook post. When officers tried to stop the car, the vehicle, which had four people with masks, fled.
During the chase, the suspects fired at police. Myrtle Beach Police requested assistance from Horry County Police.
The chase ended on near North Kings Highway and 67th Avenue North when the car crashed. The four people in the vehicle have been arrested.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 11:25 AM.
