Family remembers St. Helena man who ‘saved lives’ during mass shooting at bar
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St. Helena Mass Shooting
A mass shooting on St. Helena Island killed four people and left a quiet seaside community reeling.
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As the sun rose over St. Helena Island Sunday morning, a daily text message of prayer from Amos Ramon Gary never arrived to its usual recipients: his brothers, sisters and mother.
The 54-year-old brother, son and father — known for his warmth, courage, selflessness and vibrant soul — was among the four people killed when gunfire rang out in the early hours of the morning in front of Willie’s Bar and Grill.
“Sunday morning I didn’t get a prayer,” said Johnny Don Williams, one of Amos’ siblings who had become accustomed to the words of encouragement from his brother each morning. “This morning I didn’t get a prayer. I’ll never get one again.”
Amos, affectionately called “Junior,” was a father of two young sons and one of 11 brothers and sisters. He grew up and spent his life in the Beaufort area.
Amos had “a bright future ahead” and was loved deeply by everyone who had the honor of knowing him, according to a Go Fund Me donation site dedicated to supporting his family.
“He was a gentle giant,” said Johnny. “He was a big guy. He was very funny. He always liked to make people laugh. He always had jokes. He was very family oriented. He cared about family.”
Selflessness defined the big and small moments of Amos’ life.
His sister, Avis Williams, described him as a “natural born protector,” which led to his job as a part-time security guard.
On the night of the shooting, Amos was serving as a security guard at the front of the bar. Several survivors of the shooting said they saw him trying to protect others until the very end, Johnny said.
“My brother, even though he got hit multiple times, he was trying to push people out of the way and protect people and save people’s lives,” Johnny said.
In a Facebook post, Willie Turral, the bar owner, thanked Amos for his courage that “saved lives that night.”
Amos held a myriad of jobs to support his family, Johnny said. He was also a fisherman.
He was the kind of man who would give someone the shirt off his own back for someone else, his brother said. His support for others did not waver when times were hard. Johnny recalled a time when he was struggling and felt he had no one to talk to.
“Most men,” Johnny said, “tend to be more stoic. We tend to swallow our feelings.” Amos took the time to find his brother, sit down with him and air out all of his pains and frustrations. “He carried that load when I couldn’t do it,” Johnny said.
“His life mattered. His purpose mattered. His love for people, his kindness, and his light will not be forgotten,” wrote Avis.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 4:32 PM.
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