Crowd was fighting in street prior to latest Myrtle Beach shooting, police say
A large group of people fighting in the street near a popular restaurant in downtown Myrtle Beach led to a shooting earlier this month, according to police.
It is the second shooting that occurred in the same area within months. A mass shooting in April left one person dead and 11 others injured.
Myrtle Beach Police released incident reports related to a North Ocean Boulevard shooting on June 12.
Officers were patrolling downtown Myrtle Beach around 9th Avenue North and North Ocean Boulevard when they heard multiple gunshots and saw people running away from an area near Peaches Corner around 11:55 p.m., the report said.
A witness said they were driving down 9th Avenue when they saw a large group of people fighting in the middle of the street, according to an incident report. The witness then heard gunshots and ducked down in his vehicle, the report said.
One individual sustained a gunshot wound, a Facebook post said. That person was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Police arrested Syire Arik McLeod and Chason Jalih Harris, both 18, of Oxford, North Carolina, in the shooting.
McLeod has been charged with third-degree assault and battery. Harris has been charged with tampering with evidence.
Police have also arrested a person who will be named once they are charged, and two juveniles related to the incident.
Harris was arrested after he allegedly threw a firearm over the balcony at a Myrtle Beach hotel. The firearm was later to be reported stolen out of North Carolina, a police report said.
Police were searching for suspects related to the shooting and found them in a hotel room at the Coral Beach Resort, 1105 S. Ocean Blvd. When police entered the room on June 13, Harris tossed the firearm, the report said.
The June 12 shooting comes after an officer-involved shooting on April 26, 2025, in the 900 block of North Ocean Boulevard. A Myrtle Beach Police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Jerrius Davis, who allegedly fired into a crowd of people on a busy walk which prompted police to return fire.
Eleven others were injured in the shooting. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is currently investigating the shooting.
Davis, of Bennettsville in nearby Marlboro County, was apparently in Myrtle Beach on spring break with a family member and friends, as were many of the other victims in the shooting.
Safety along the Boulevard has long been a concern of both residents and visitors who come into the city. Recent shootings have only increased the concern, especially now that the city is in its summer tourist season.
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM.