Mass Shooting Leaves Four Dead and 16 Injured at South Carolina Bar

Sun Oct 19 2025 20:31:12 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A violent incident at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island has left a community in shock, with police struggling to gather information from witnesses despite a crowd of hundreds present.

A weekend mass shooting in South Carolina claimed four lives and injured 16 others, with authorities emphasizing the need for witnesses to come forward as investigations continue. Amid fears of retribution, the local sheriff urges people to report anonymously.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A sheriff has disclosed that his deputies are diligently investigating a mass shooting that occurred over the weekend, resulting in four fatalities and 16 injuries at a bar located on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. Despite the large turnout at the event, the sheriff expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from witnesses present during the chaos.

Investigation efforts are ongoing, with no arrests made as deputies continue to test DNA, analyze firearms, and enhance video footage from the shooting scene at Willie’s Bar and Grill, according to Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner.

Initial reports suggest that the shooting emerged from a dispute between a few individuals from the local community, with shots being indiscriminately fired into an expansive crowd of around 700 party-goers. Sheriff Tanner lamented, We had 700 people at this party, and yet we have not received a single witness statement that identifies the shooters. It’s frustrating.”

He articulated concerns that while people may be inclined to assist law enforcement, they fear facing retaliation for coming forward. Sheriff Tanner encouraged those with information to report it anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Tanner held a media briefing on Wednesday where he responded to inquiries, reiterating the horrific nature of the scene and the challenges in reconstructing events based on physical evidence rather than eyewitness accounts. The sheer volume of people at the bar and outside contributed to the number of injuries and fatalities,” he explained. When so many shots are fired, multiple people will inevitably be harmed and some will die.”

In total, 16 individuals suffered wounds from the shooting, a number that had been mistakenly reported as at least 20 in earlier accounts. Those killed have been identified as 22-year-old Kashawn Glaze, 33-year-old Chiraad Smalls, 54-year-old Amos Gary, and 22-year-old A’shan’tek Milledge.

Willie’s Bar is known for serving Gullah-inspired cuisine and is recognized as a community hub aimed at providing support, especially for local youth. Approximately 5,000 members of the Gullah community reside on St. Helena Island, descendants of enslaved West Africans who once worked rice plantations before being freed following the Civil War.

Law enforcement continues to collect shell casings and bullet fragments from the victims while sending them to state crime labs for analysis. Video footage captured at the bar is under review by the FBI as part of their investigation. Sheriff Tanner emphasized the importance of building a strong case that can withstand scrutiny, stating, I am determined to ensure these families are not victimized again.”