Man killed by police in downtown Savannah was from Beaufort County, officials say
An armed man who was shot and killed by police during an incident in downtown Savannah Thursday afternoon was identified as a Beaufort County resident.
Mark Dennis Whibbey, Jr., 27, was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds after first responders gave medical aid at the scene, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. His address is in the Dale area, about 5 miles northeast of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
Officers with the Savannah Police Department received a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. Thursday reporting a man, later identified as Whibbey, “waving a firearm” in the roadway of West Congress Street, state officials said. An employee of a nearby convenience store reported an armed man shoplifting soon after.
Police approached Whibbey and ordered him to drop the gun, but he continued walking north on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive toward the Savannah River, according to the GBI, whose agents are investigating on behalf of the SPD. One officer unsuccessfully tried to use a taser on the man.
When officers isolated Whibbey in the Riverwalk area, he reportedly began “pacing” with the firearm in his right hand. Whibbey “reached behind his back with his left hand toward an object in his rear waistband” and five SPD officers fired at Whibbey, striking him multiple times, the GBI statement says.
What witness video shows
Whibbey’s body will be autopsied at the GBI Pooler Medical Examiner’s Office. When the agency’s investigation is finished, case materials will be given to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review, the GBI said.
A witness’ video published by WJCL 22 shows police directing residents away from the area as Whibbey, wearing a white T-shirt, who stands with his back to the Riverwalk railing. Several officers stand about 20 feet away. A barrage of gunfire is heard, sending the videographer and others running in the opposite direction.
No officers were injured in the incident. SPD personnel that fired the shots may be placed on administrative leave during GBI’s probe, although it was unclear if that had occurred as of Friday.
A similar shooting in Hardeeville
Officials reported another shooting involving police just across state lines early the next morning.
A Hardeeville officer and a suspect were both taken to the hospital after being injured in a shooting at a Shell gas station off Insterstate 95’s Exit 5. Both were taken to the hospital, officials said, and the officer was in stable condition.
The gunfire began “during an active law enforcement response,” according to the Hardeeville Police Department, but the circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately clear. The case will be investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 12:39 PM.
