Crime & Public Safety

Man injured, 2 arrested in Wednesday shooting at park in Bluffton, police say

Police are investigating after two men were arrested and charged with attempted murder in a shooting following an “illegal transaction” gone wrong Wednesday at Oscar Frazier Park, according to the Bluffton Police Department.

Tyquan Graham, 18, of Okatie, and 17-year-old Erick Matthew, of Bluffton, were charged Thursday with attempted murder and possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime.

Around 5:50 p.m. Wednesday police allege that Graham and Matthew were at the park for an “illegal transaction,” according to Bluffton Police Department spokesperson Lt. Christian Gonzales. He would not give details on the transaction.

The men got out of their cars and began shooting one another in the parking lot near the park’s playground, department officials announced via their Facebook page. Both men left the park before police arrived, one in their car and one on foot. The one who ran away was found by police at Coastal Carolina Hospital with two gunshot wounds. The other was found at his home, according to the post.

Residents thought that the shots they were hearing were fireworks until they saw police cars in the area later on, said one person who asked not to be identified.

No further charges are expected as of Thursday and the investigation is ongoing, Gonzales said.

Graham was released about 1 p.m. Thursday while Matthew was still in custody at the detention center in Beaufort.

This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 3:25 PM.

Sofia Sanchez
The Island Packet
Sofia Sanchez is a breaking news reporter at The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. She reports on crime and developing stories in Beaufort and its surrounding areas. Sofia is a Cuban-American reporter from Florida and graduated from Florida International University in 2020.
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