LITTLE RIVER, S.C. — A Memorial Day weekend boat party ended in gunfire late Sunday night when ten people were shot during a fight near a dock in Little River, a coastal town about 20 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to authorities.
The violence erupted shortly after 9:30 p.m. as a private charter boat returned from a cruise and docked in the marina, Horry County Police said in a statement. Although no fatalities have been reported, officials confirmed that several of the victims were critically wounded. At least one additional person was hospitalized for injuries unrelated to gunfire.
The shooting unfolded around a dock frequently used by private cruise boats. Police said the vessel had just completed a party cruise advertised as a three-hour event featuring a DJ, which was scheduled to end at 9 p.m.
Detectives are still working to determine the exact location and sequence of events that led to the gunfire. The boat was docked at the time of the incident, but investigators have not said whether the confrontation began onboard or onshore.
A distraught woman who answered a phone number listed on the event flyer confirmed she witnessed friends being shot but refused further comment. A person answering the phone at the charter company declined to speak with reporters.
No arrests had been made as of Monday, and police have released few details about potential suspects or motives. The shooting appears to have stemmed from an argument that escalated once the boat docked, said Randy Evans, whose 25-year-old son was among those injured.
Evans told The Post and Courier that his son was shot in the ankle and toe but managed to use his bathing suit as a makeshift tourniquet to aid others with more serious injuries.
“The surgery was better than they expected,” Evans said. “He’s going to be OK.”
In a separate but related incident, a North Myrtle Beach police officer responding to the scene accidentally shot himself in the leg while at a nearby marina roughly three miles (5 kilometers) from the original shooting site. The officer is in stable condition at the hospital, according to city spokeswoman Lauren Jessie.
Little River, a small fishing village near the North Carolina border, is well-known for its docks, marinas, and recreational cruises, including fishing expeditions, dolphin tours, and casino boats. The incident has rattled a typically quiet coastal community on what should have been a festive holiday weekend.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and are urging anyone with information to contact the Horry County Police Department.
