South Carolina

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC – The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate shooting incidents that occurred overnight in different areas of the county. The first incident occurred on Monday, October 20, 2025, shortly before 11 p.m. Deputies responded to the Vista View apartment complex on Haigler Boulevard in Bluffton after receiving multiple reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, deputies discovered property damage consistent with a shooting. No injuries were reported. The second incident took place on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, shortly before 4 a.m. Deputies responded to reports of shots fired on Shiney Road on St. Helena Island. While en route, they were informed of a 19-year-old male gunshot victim being transported to the hospital. He is reported to be in stable con...

RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Richard Brian Walker, who pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking and firearm offenses, including possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). Walker argued that his guilty plea lacked an adequate factual basis because most of the drugs were stored in a locked safe separate from the firearms. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges King, Richardson, and Quattlebaum, rejected that claim, finding no plain error in the district court’s acceptance of the plea. The court held that the government’s factual proffer sufficiently linked the firearms to drug trafficking activity, noting that officers found multiple firearms ...

RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the 63-month prison sentence of Tron Martelle Harrison, who pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Harrison appealed his sentence, arguing that the district court’s upward variance from the Sentencing Guidelines range was substantively unreasonable. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges Wynn and Rushing and Senior Judge Floyd, rejected that argument. The court found that the district court properly considered the factors under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including Harrison’s history of firearm-related convictions, the seriousness of his most recent offense, and his prior federal conviction for the same con...

RICHMOND, VA, October 17, 2025 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the 336-month federal prison sentence of Derrick “Red” Simpson, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Simpson challenged his sentence as procedurally unreasonable, arguing that the district court denied him due process by limiting his ability to dispute witness statements and enhancements, improperly applied a firearm enhancement, and failed to address his request for a downward variance. The appellate panel, consisting of Judges King, Quattlebaum, and Senior Judge Traxler, rejected each argument. The court found that the district court acted within its discretion in relying on corroborated co-conspirator statements and testimony supporting the enha...

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – The North Charleston Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on the evening of Monday, October 13, 2025. Just before 9:00 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 1900 block of Alton Street. Upon arrival, they located a male victim outside a residence suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported by EMS to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. No arrests have been made at this time. Detectives are pursuing all leads, and the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case, or knowledge of illegal firearms or suspicious activity, is urged to submit a tip through the secure and confidential Crime Watch platform at www.northcharlestonpd.org.

MARLBORO COUNTY, SC – The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that occurred early October 12, 2025, at the Knife and Fork Night Club on Atkins Street in the Bennettsville area. Deputies responded to the scene following reports of a shooting. An individual was found deceased, and the investigation remains in its preliminary stages. Sheriff’s officials expressed frustration that despite hundreds of people being present at the time of the shooting, many are unwilling to come forward with information. The agency is urging witnesses to help solve what they described as a “senseless killing of an innocent individual.” Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 843-897-4818 (call or text) or Marlboro County ce...

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC - A mass shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island left four people pronounced deceased and at least 20 others injured early Oct. 12, 2025, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. at Willie’s Bar and Grill, 7 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Deputies who responded to the scene encountered a large crowd, several of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. Authorities said hundreds of people were present when gunfire erupted and many fled to nearby businesses and properties to take shelter. Beaufort County EMS transported multiple victims to area hospitals while others arrived on their own seeking treatment. Four individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene. Four additional victims were r...

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC – The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has issued a statement refuting widely circulated false claims made on the Nextdoor platform regarding an alleged officer-involved shooting near Beach City Road. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a post published via the “Safety Alerts” feature on September 23 falsely claimed that a police officer had been shot and that the suspect had fled into nearby woods. Other unverified accounts referenced a possible connection to a local Walmart. Officials confirmed that no shooting occurred and no law enforcement officers have been injured. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that in the event of any confirmed public safety threat, such as a shooting or injured officer, residents would be promptly notified through official means, ...

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – A man has been arrested and charged after allegedly firing a gun at his girlfriend during a domestic incident early Monday morning. According to the North Charleston Police Department, officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 6200 block of Rolling Fork Road around 4:30 a.m. on September 22, 2025. The victim reported that she and the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Matthew Rawcliffe, were involved in an argument when he chased her upstairs and fired a shot at her, missing. A physical struggle followed, during which the victim was able to disarm Rawcliffe. She then armed herself with a skateboard and ordered him to leave the residence. Rawcliffe fled the scene but was located a short time later lying in a nearby wood line. He was taken into cust...

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Detectives with the North Charleston Police Department’s Special Victims Unit have arrested 45-year-old Robin Bryant, owner of Sweetgrass Christian Academy, for allegedly failing to report child abuse occurring at her daycare facility. Bryant was taken into custody after investigators determined she had been made aware of the alleged abuse but did not notify authorities as required by state law. The daycare is located at 1520 Remount Road in North Charleston. A daycare employee had previously been arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child in connection with the same case. Bryant is now charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect and was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center.