Man fires gun inside Port Royal apartment, hitting child next door, police say

A child was hospitalized after an argument in a neighboring apartment led to gunfire, according to the Port Royal Police Department.

Benjamin Smalls, 28, of Burton, was charged with discharging a firearm in a dwelling Tuesday, jail records from the Beaufort County Detention Center showed. The felony charge carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years and or a $1,000 fine, according to the S.C. Code of Laws.

Officers were called out to Port Royal Apartments on Grober Hill Road around 6:30 p.m. after a person calling 911 hung up and it sounded like a “disturbance,” was taking place in the background, according to Capt. John Griffith with the department.

When police got there, they found that an argument between Smalls, his ex-girlfriend and another man had taken place. Officers accused Smalls of firing a gun once in the apartment. The bullet went through the walls to the bathroom of a neighboring apartment where a child was in the bathroom. The child was hit.

“It’s too early to tell if it was actually caused by the projectile or perhaps some of the debris from the walls that had been shot,” Griffith said.

The child was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital with an “abrasion” on their arm.

Smalls was released on $50,000 bond Wednesday.

The investigation is ongoing and further charges could be filed against Smalls, Griffith said.

This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 4:13 PM.