Six shot on Isle of Palms beach after altercation

Jun 28, 2023

by: Chase Laudenslager

Posted: Apr 7, 2023 / 09:00 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 8, 2023 / 07:21 AM EDT

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) – Six people were shot Friday evening on Isle of Palms, according to city officials.

IOP said that the incident happened around 5:20 p.m. on the beach behind the Sea Cabins near 1140 Ocean Boulevard.

Officials said that hundreds of people were gathered on the beach near the pier for senior skip day. Several altercations took place and shots rang out.

IOPPD said that most of the victims were teens, and at least one victim appeared to be middle-aged.

Several people were detained on weapons charges, but IOPPD does not yet know if one of those individuals was the shooter.

IOPPD shut down the beach all the way to the County Park. Officials did not say when it was expected to reopen.

IOPPD was already planning to step up patrols over the weekend ahead of spring break. Patrols will likely be increased further after the shooting.

Several agencies were on scene assisting with the investigation, including the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, North Charleston Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Sullivan's Island Police Department, and more. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and federal agencies have also offered assistance.

Isle of Palms City Council has scheduled an emergency meeting for Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Officials plan to hold another press conference prior to the meeting.

Representative Nancy Mace reacted to the shooting, saying in part "I will not politicize this horrific event tonight, but I have many thoughts about policies I’ve worked on over the years to reduce gun violence. It's past time to WORK TOGETHER."

Isle of Palms City Councilman Blair Hahn gave News 2 the following statement:

"This is an unfortunate event and my heart goes out to all involved and their families. However, I must focus on our first responders and those that were injured. Our lack of an emergency lane frustrated the ability of both EMS and Mount Pleasant police to respond quickly. Hopefully, our emergency lane will be restored as quickly as it was taken from us."

The IOP connector was temporarily shut down shortly after the shooting following a crash involving an EMS vehicle. It was not immediately clear whether that vehicle was involved in the response to the shooting.

However, video showed Mount Pleasant police responding to the scene weaving through heavy traffic on the connector. Ongoing discussions about the configuration of the IOP Connector have raised concern about the need for a true emergency lane.

IOPPD has established a tip line for any information related to the shooting: 843-529-3750.

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