LITTLE RIVER BOAT SHOOTING
A chaotic and violent end to a popular South Carolina boat party is drawing scrutiny and now a video obtained exclusively by The North Carolina Beat appears to contradict the arrest made by law enforcement on Thursday in connection to a shooting that left 11 injured, including 10 with gunshot wounds.
The footage, lasting just 26 seconds, shows a white male walking toward a group of partygoers near the dock at Watson Avenue before raising a firearm and opening fire. The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. Sunday, May 25, shortly after the “Rock Tha Boat Jackie-O & Friends Annual Birthday Boat Party” concluded its voyage.
The private charter boat began at 4 p.m. and ended at 9 p.m., and was hosted by Jacklyn Patrice Bellamy, the mother of the suspect arrested.
The Horry County Police Department, however, announced Thursday that they had arrested 19-year-old Shawon Shamarion Williams—a Black male—in Lake County, Illinois, more than 800 miles from the crime scene. Williams is facing multiple counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to police.
The arrest has sparked growing questions from the public and survivors, many of whom have publicly identified a different man—Tyler Collins, who they describe as white—as the shooter seen in the video.
The Horry County Police Department has not publicly stated anything about the alleged discrepancy between the man seen in the video and the suspect taken into custody.
A police spokesperson, Mikayla Moskov, told reporters Wednesday that the shooting was “believed to be isolated in nature,” and said that there is “currently no intel to suggest the incident has the potential to expand beyond what already occurred Sunday.”
Three victims remain hospitalized as of Tuesday evening, with others recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. Additionally, one female attendee was reportedly bust upside the head by a falling speaker.
Despite the lack of clarity surrounding the identity of the shooter, authorities have said others could be charged in the investigation.
As conflicting accounts continue to emerge, community members and survivors are calling for transparency.
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White man? Nah, That’s either a light skin Black dude or mixed Latino/Black