Myrtle Beach area starts summer season with string of high-profile crimes
A rash of high-profile crime plagued the Myrtle Beach area as the tourism season begins.
Since late April, there have been two mass shootings, multiple armed robberies and two police chases in the Myrtle Beach area. With Memorial Day weekend seen as the official start, the string of violent crime can make it feel like we may be in for a rough summer.
“This was weird in that the arrests didn’t really go up, but. . . what (the people arrested are) accused of doing was a lot bigger and a lot more attention grabbing,” said 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
Overall, the number of criminal cases has not appeared to increase in recent months, according to Richardson. But the number of newsworthy violent cases seems to have grown. It started with the shooting on North Ocean Boulevard in late April.
Almost every high-profile crime was started by someone from out of town. Richardson said it’s common for day-trippers to come from nearby cities, like Florence or Sumter, and bring their issues with them.
Richardson said he hopes the violent crime streak ended with Memorial Day weekend, although there is no way to know for certain.
“It always feels sort of like a powder keg at the beginning and certainly it did going into this,” Richardson said. “Hopefully that will be it for the rest of the summer.”
Here is everything that has happened and what we know about each incident.
Shooting on a boat party injures 10
The most recent crime occurred at a dock in Little River on May 25. A boat rented for a private party was stopped at the Dolphin Cruise docks near Watson Avenue at about 9:15 p.m. when there was an altercation, a report said.
A speaker object fell on a woman’s head and several minutes later, someone shot a gun. The suspect has not been named or arrested, The Sun News reported.
In total, 10 people went to the hospital with gunshot wounds and one person with a different injury. As of Tuesday, three people remain in the hospital, said Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt.
This was an isolated incident, but it brought in a large police force. At one point, there were a minimum of 50 police vehicles parked on the streets and parking lots near the dock.
Mass shooting on North Ocean Boulevard
The first big event that seems to have kicked off these crimes was a mass shooting in downtown Myrtle Beach on April 26, The Sun News reported. At about 11:50 p.m., 18-year-old Jerrius Davis shot a gun on North Ocean Boulevard near 9th Avenue North. Myrtle Beach Police then returned fire, shooting and killing the Bennettsville teenager.
A total of 11 people were injured, including 13-year-old Zavian Hairston and 15-year-old Serenity Chavis. It is unclear whether Davis or Myrtle Beach police officers were responsible for gunshot wounds. Chavis said she remembered a police officer shooting her.
Armed robberies across Myrtle Beach
During the late hours of May 13 and early May 14, four people committed five armed robberies across Myrtle Beach, according to The Sun News. Myrtle Beach Police arrested Kaharee Simmons, 19, Asa Price, 19, Allannah Clark-Anderson, 18, and Drvon Kennedy, 21, on various charges.
All four people are being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center with high bonds. Kennedy, Price and Clark-Anderson are from Columbia while Simmons is from Kentucky.
The first incident happened at Broadway at the Beach, 1100 block of Celebrity Circle Drive, where the suspects approached the victims while in their vehicle. They held the two victims at gunpoint and robbed them.
There were also armed robberies near Colonial Drive, 22nd Avenue North and 65th Avenue North and an attempted armed robbery near 40th Avenue North and North Kings Highway.
High-speed police chase where suspects fired at officers
Just before Memorial Day weekend started, there was a high-speed police chase in Myrtle Beach and the suspects allegedly shot at officers, The Sun News reported.
Officers came up to a vehicle near the Twilight Surf Motel, 1703 S Ocean Blvd., after noticing four masked individuals inside. The car took off and a police chase ensued.
The car drove on Farrow Parkway in Market Common, where people inside the car allegedly discharged their firearms at police. The chase ended at 67th Avenue North when the perpetrators crashed the stolen vehicle.
Two people were arrested, 17-year-old Riley Pegram and 20-year-old Omarion Glass, while two teenage girls in the car were not charged, the police report said.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
