4 injured in two separate Hilton Head apartment shootings July 4th weekend, police say
Police are searching for multiple suspects after four people were injured over the long holiday weekend in two separate shootings at Hilton Head Island apartment complexes, a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release said.
A suspect has been named in one shooting, but has yet to be arrested.
Friday shooting
Around 10 p.m. Friday, officers responded to the Hilton Head Gardens apartment on Southwood Park Drive after a man and woman were shot in the parking lot, according to the release.
The victims were transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah for treatment and later released.
No suspects had been publicly identified as of Tuesday morning.
Monday shooting
Around 4 a.m. on July 5, deputies responded to The Oaks apartments on William Hilton Parkway where another man and woman were shot.
Bullets fired through the front door hit the two inside an apartment, the release says. They were treated at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and released.
After an initial investigation, officers identified 27-year-old Francisco Cortes, of Bluffton, as the alleged shooter and said he left the scene after the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office obtained warrants for Cortes’ arrest on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and one count each of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and unlawful carrying of a pistol, the release says.
As of Tuesday morning, deputies had not located Cortes.
They say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who knows where Cortes may be or has information about either shooting can call Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch at 843-524-2777, Cpl. Andrew Calore at 843-255-3411, or anonymously at Crime Stoppers at 843-554-1111.
This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 11:15 AM.
