Update: Woman admitted to pointing gun at Myrtle Beach ‘No Kings’ protesters
A woman was arrested at the Myrtle Beach “No Kings” protest on Saturday after presenting a firearm, Myrtle Beach Police said.
Mary Moriarty, 59, of Surfside Beach, was observed by officers brandishing a firearm near the protest from her vehicle at about 2:09 p.m., according to a Facebook post by Myrtle Beach Police. She was taken into custody without incident, according to the post.
In a post-Miranda interview, Moriarty admitted to pointing or presenting her firearm at victims as she was driving by the protest, according to her arrest warrants.
Myrtle Beach Police spokesperson Randolph Angotti said that there were no additional arrests or citations associated with the protest that he was aware of.
Moriarty faces two charges of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, according to Myrtle Beach arrest records.
This weekend’s protests marked the second wave of nationwide “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration. Protests took place throughout South Carolina, with about 2,700 events planned across the country, according to the organizers.
Alex Meranco, 59, of Myrtle Beach, was protesting at the event and did not witness the weapon being drawn, but saw Moriarty’s arrest. In video Meranco captured on the scene, witnesses gave their statements to officers as Moriarty was detained, wearing a shirt reading “Trump, The Revenge Tour.”
“The only thing I could say about the incident is that it did not have its intended effect,” Meranco wrote in a message to The Sun News. “It did not stoke fear in my heart nor dampen my resolve to lift up my voice against what I believe is wrong with what this administration is doing. If anything, it has made me stronger.”
This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 8:58 AM.
