After St. Helena mass shooting, sheriff seeks to shut down ‘nuisance’ bar
The namesake of the St. Helena Island bar where a mass shooting broke out outside said that the Beaufort County Sheriff unfairly retaliated against him by taking steps to get his business license revoked.
Willie Turral, who leases out the location for Willie’s Bar and Grill, described the business as law enforcement’s “scapegoat” for the Oct. 12 shooting. The department has sent letters to the state — which issues liquor licenses to businesses through the department of revenue — and the county, which issues annual licenses for local businesses.
As of Friday, the bar and grill did not have an active liquor license with the state of South Carolina, according to records with the state Department of Revenue.
Officials at Friday’s press conference announced the arrest of one of the three suspected gunmen, 27-year-old Anferny Devon Freeman, in connection with the four shooting deaths outside Willie’s Bar and Grill. Another shooter was killed in the gunfight, leaving one suspect still at large, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said; 15 other victims were injured in the shooting.
The bar in St. Helena’s Corners community has not officially opened for business since Oct. 12. But in the days following the mass shooting, Turral invited several nonprofits into its kitchen to cook plate lunches and gumbo, with a portion of proceeds going toward the victims’ families.
Turral joined the line of reporters during the press conference to ask the county’s top law enforcement official what legal grounds the department had to issue an emergency revocation of his business license. It led to a heated exchange between the two.
Tanner described the business as a “nuisance” location that has received more than 400 calls for service since 2014, including for shots fired, drug-related activity and domestic violence. Liquor service is one of the things that makes it “a problematic area,” he said, as patrons’ alcohol consumption mixed with drug use can cause things to go “off the rails.”
“Look, the bottom line is we’re going to put you out of business, if that’s what you’re looking for me to say. That’s exactly what our efforts are,” the sheriff told Turral. “The address itself, as far as I’m concerned, is never going to have a beer, wine and liquor license [again].”
Under South Carolina state code, legal action can be taken against properties that operate under a pattern that directly disturbs the public peace, including a pattern of violence. The sheriff did not answer whether the department was specifically pursuing legal action against Turral.
Tanner said Turral had “common knowledge” of criminal issues happening in the bar and enough “foresight” to hire four security guards to protect the venue. One of those security guards, 54-year-old Amos Gary, was killed in the shooting.
Turral says he took over the business only three years ago. Prior to that, the restaurant was called the Island Grill.
Following the press conference, Turral told reporters he would contest any legal proceedings against his restaurant. He said he received the emergency revocation letter Wednesday from the South Carolina Department of Revenue, which was drafted in response to a state police affidavit and a referral from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
A hearing over the license revocation is scheduled for Monday afternoon in Columbia, according to Turral.
Turral still has an active business license with Beaufort County, but the county received a letter from law enforcement asking for the revocation of that license after the shooting, county spokesperson Hannah Nichols confirmed. That request is currently under review with the county’s legal department.
Law enforcement is responsible for addressing community crimes and conduct they know about, Turral said. It’s “egregious” that law enforcement has still not named the third shooter but is instead focusing on the “terrorized” business, he said.
“I asked a simple question,” Turral said. “What have you [the sheriff] done to make us safe? The answer is, nothing.”
Turral challenged the sheriff’s assertion that community members on St. Helena did not come forward to law enforcement with information. He said “multiple eyewitnesses” gave reports to law enforcement using Freeman’s name since the very start. People are not just fearful of retaliation, he said — they’ve experienced it after coming forward to police with information.
Speaking about the police’s attempt to close down his business, Turral questioned whether a non-Black bar owner would face the same treatment.
“I think he [the sheriff] exposed a lot about how he feels about folks on St. Helena, possibly folks of color, possibly business owners of color,” Turral said.
Asked to respond, Tanner pushed back against Turral’s claims of prejudice.
“I love St. Helena. I love the people of St. Helena. And we have been doing everything that we possibly can, through investigative efforts ... to try our best to resolve this case and find those that are involved,” Tanner said.
The sheriff said his department had not previously considered taking action against Willie’s Bar and Grill. But the mass shooting prompted his department to take an “in-depth look,” which revealed what police saw as a staggering amount of calls for service at the location within an 11-year period.
“There’s been complaints about that club from different people on St. Helena, and I’m not going to put them in a position,” he said, “but these are pastors, these are well-established members of St. Helena who do not appreciate the kind of business that he does at this location.”
Tanner said this type of action against businesses is “not rare at all.” His Chief Deputy, Michael Hatfield, previously served in the South Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission and has “done this many, many times over his career, and many times in Beaufort County.”
“Everything comes to a boiling point, and the boiling point for Willie’s Bar and Grill was Oct. 12,” he said.
Turral plans to turn the bar into a community “digital corridor” that provides resources, lighting, security and incubation for local businesses. They have a plan in place to work hard until “this is a positive and triumphant story of community resilience.”
“We’re not going to leave the blood on the concrete,” he said.
The sheriff wasn’t the first public official to call for the closing of Willie’s Bar and Grill in the wake of the tragedy.
Shortly after the mass shooting, Beaufort County Councilman York Glover called for the restaurant to be shut down. He later backpedaled, saying the statement was based on emotion and that he would withhold judgment until he gathered more facts.
Karl Puckett contributed reporting.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
