‘Like a machine gun’: 4 dead, 20 injured in mass shooting in Beaufort County, SC

Update as of Wednesday, Oct. 15: The Sheriff’s Office clarified that 20 people were shot. Of those, four were killed. Another four people were critically wounded. Two of the four people critically injured were doing “a lot better” as of Wednesday, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said.

Four people were killed in a mass shooting at a St. Helena Island bar early Sunday morning as sounds of rapid gunfire sent patrons running for their lives.

At least 20 customers at Willie’s Bar and Grill, 7 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, were injured during the shooting, in addition to four people who were pronounced dead at the scene, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said.

Names of the victims were not immediately released pending the notification of family.

Authorities received multiple reports of a shooting just before 1 a.m.

Upon arriving, deputies found a large crowd, with several suffering from gunshot wounds. At the time of the shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said hundreds of people were at the bar, and multiple victims and witnesses ran to nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter.

Beaufort County EMS transported four victims to area hospitals in critical condition. At least eight people were shot. Additional victims continued to arrive at the hospital on their own to be treated for injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it is investigating “persons of interest” and asked the public to contact Investigator Master Sergeant Duncan at 843-255-3418 with information.

“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones.”

St. Helena community where the shooting took place

The shooting occurred in an area known locally as “Frogmore,” the commercial hub of St. Helena Island between Beaufort and Hunting Island State Park, which is known for shops, restaurants and the historic Penn Center. That site was the first school in the South for formerly enslaved people that today focuses on education, social, environment and cultural development.

At 10 a.m. Sunday, police tape was stretched between a power pole and a tree outside of the bar. The street sign in front of the bar advertised, “Willie’s, Great Times, Great Food, Great Service, Great Choice.”

It was the second shooting at the location in recent memory. In November 2022 — when the bar was known as the Island Grill — two people were shot, but not killed after “rapid fire” gunshots rang out in the parking lot around closing time, according to previous reporting by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

The cook heard the shooting

“It’s crazy, said Henry Wright, a cook at the bar who was present when gunfire erupted, as he stood in the parking lot at 10 a.m. Sunday.

“I heard a lot of shots,” said Wright.

The shooting, he said, occurred outside the bar. It sent everybody inside running out the back door. One person who died was found at the bar’s front steps, he said. Two more victims who died fell on the ground in front of the establishment. A fourth was found deceased by a tree on the property, he said.

One of the victims, Wright added, was a “little girl,” a teenager maybe around 17.

Robert Adams said he heard automatic gun fire “like a machine gun.” Adams is the executive director of Penn Center and lives on the property of the historic school located just up the road from the bar on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Sunday morning, he was cleaning up trash in the park across the street from the bar. Trash and parking issues often arise during large events at Willie’s, he said.

“This has been attracting a lot of problems,” Adams said.

This is a developing story. Check back at islandpacket.com for more updates.

This story was originally published October 12, 2025 at 9:47 AM.

Karl Puckett

The Island Packet

843-256-3420

Karl Puckett covers the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal and other communities north of the Broad River for The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. The Minnesota native also has worked at newspapers in his home state, Alaska, Wisconsin and Montana.

Evan McKenna

The Island Packet

(843) 321-8375

Evan is a breaking news reporter for The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. A Tennessee native and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he reports on crime and safety across Beaufort and Jasper counties. For tips or story ideas, email emckenna@islandpacket.com or call 843-321-8375.