Bloodbath at Willie's
BREAKING: 4 Dead, 20+ Injured in Midnight Massacre at Packed South Carolina Bar
After a mass shooting shatters Idyllic St. Helena Island nightlife, victims fled to nearby homes. Deputies are currently hunting 'Persons of Interest' in the deadliest attack Beaufort County has seen in years.
In a night of sheer terror that transformed a lively coastal hangout into a scene of carnage, at least four people were killed and more than 20 others wounded when gunfire erupted at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, early this morning (Sunday).
The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office reports the hail of bullets began around 1 a.m. at the popular bar on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive near Highway 21, where hundreds had gathered for a Saturday night celebration, turning joy into pandemonium as patrons dove for cover and fled into nearby businesses and homes.
Deputies arrived to active gunfire, with victims scattered across the parking lot; four were pronounced dead at the scene, while the injured, including four in critical condition, were rushed to hospitals, some self-transporting as the night wore on.
Sheriff P.J. Tanner described the incident as a "tragic" blow to the tight-knit community, urging witnesses to come forward as investigators pursue "persons of interest," though no arrests have been made, and authorities insist there's no ongoing threat to the public.
The motive remains shrouded in mystery, with the road sealed off as a major crime scene swarms with deputies, firefighters, and EMS crews.
This marks the worst mass shooting in Beaufort County's recent history, leaving the serene island community reeling as authorities vow justice, but with a suspect still at large, fear lingers in the air.