Investigation into St. Helena shooting enters fifth week: What we know, and what we don’t
As the clock struck 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, the investigation into the shooting that claimed four lives and injured 16 others on St. Helena Island entered its fifth week, with no suspects in custody and a laundry list of unanswered questions.
Stuck in a “holding pattern,” Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said that “final pieces” of evidence are still being processed with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, but his department is getting “a lot closer to bringing charges” against individuals involved in the shooting and possibly others involved in “spin-off cases” as a result of the probe.
By next week, Tanner anticipates the department will have what they are waiting for from the state’s law enforcement division, which is processing ballistic evidence. Tanner has not answered questions about what kinds of weapons were used, but acknowledged during a press conference that machine gun use in Beaufort County has become a big problem.
When asked why the investigation has taken this many weeks, the county’s top law enforcement official said his department is more focused on ensuring the case will stand up in court than “jumping to any conclusions.”
“Time is not something that’s relevant at this moment,” Tanner said. “Making the appropriate charges on the people that are responsible is what’s important.”
The sheriff previously said he cannot guarantee whether residents are safe in Beaufort County without a suspect in custody.
The tale of two shootings
Unlike other recent local shootings that have led to swift arrests, making this case relies heavily on scientific evidence, Tanner said. The investigation is based “on what science is telling [the department] more than what people are telling us,” he said. And relying on evidence “can’t be rushed,” he said.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 2, a shooting on Hilton Head Island hospitalized two teenagers.
Before 11 a.m. that same morning, two teens were arrested and charged in connection to the shooting—one of them for attempted murder. From start to finish, the investigation on Hilton Head took only a number of hours, a stark comparison to the ongoing timeline of the St. Helena shooting.
When asked about this, Tanner said the shootings and the subsequent investigations were “quite different.” One of the Hilton Head victims was able to provide key information to cops on the scene, including details about the suspect’s car. Deputies were able to find the car, which led to the eventual arrests.
There were hundreds of people at Willie’s Bar and Grill when the shooting happened before 1 a.m. Oct. 12, but Tanner said the department has still not been able to get “a lot” of information from witnesses, let alone those who could or would testify.
‘Spin-off’ cases lead to charges
In the days and weeks after the shooting, several individuals have been booked into the county’s jail and charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun.
One St. Helena man was charged with both aggravated breach of peace and unlawful possession of a machine gun just days after the incident. His charges were “unrelated” to the shooting at Willie’s, a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson previously told the Island Packet.
On Thursday, Tanner said other people have been charged as a result of “spin-off cases” stemming from the shooting investigation.
“We have made multiple charges from other investigations that were ongoing, related to people that we have a very strong interest in, that is connected to the Willie’s Bar and Grill shooting,” Tanner said.
He did not explain the connection between those who have already been charged and the “two or more” people who exchanged gunfire in front of Willie’s.
Waiting on ‘final pieces’
Despite having “very good evidence,” Tanner said, they are waiting for some final pieces from SLED, who is assisting with firearm and bullet analysis.
Tanner was vague about the specific information his department was waiting for, but said they were waiting for a final document or report that will help to connect critical evidence, finalize affidavits and move forward with charges.
A spokesperson with SLED confirmed that its forensic lab is continuing to assist with the investigation.
The lab can analyze and compare projectiles, cartridge cases and other fired ammunition recovered to determine if a specific firearm was used in a shooting. It can also compare evidence from one crime scene to another to see if the same gun was used.
Examiners can restore serial numbers and analyze the microscopic “tool” marks left on bullets. If a gun was recovered, the department can compare the gun and tool markings on a bullet to determine if the gun was used in the crime.
All firearms and fired cartridge cases in the lab also run through a database that converts digital images of a fired cartridge case into digital “signatures” that can be compared to other images. This can determine if there are possible links between different cases that may have not been previously linked through a traditional investigation.
This story was originally published November 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
