Eight injured, four charged after Coligny shooting on Hilton Head. What we know

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said five people were charged related to the shooting, according to Tanner’s statement at the Sunday press conference. The sheriff’s office later clarified that four suspects were charged, not five.

Eight people were injured and four have been charged after gunshots were fired near Coligny Beach on the Fourth of July, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference at the sheriff’s department’s Hilton Head substation July 5, Tanner said multiple calls were placed for shots fired near the public beach access volleyball court at Coligny at 8:21 p.m July 4.

The incident began with two groups, consisting of men and women of various ages, Tanner said. A dispute escalated into a fist fight between one individual from each group. The gunshots erupted shortly after the first punches were thrown. The initial cause for the tension was unclear from video captured on the Verkada surveillance on the beach, he said.

Deputies arrived within 17 seconds after the initial barrage of calls, Tanner said; the large amount of police and security presence because of the holiday helped with the fast response.

The eight shooting victims were all adults, Tanner said. Several victims were shot multiple times. One person suffered a grazing wound to the head, and another was shot in the neck. Another was shot three times, twice in the stomach and once in the thigh. Some declined medical attention, he said.

Despite the scale of the event, Tanner said the incident was not a mass shooting. A mass shooting, he said, “depends on who the intended target is.”

The town’s Flock camera system was instrumental in getting the suspects identified, Tanner said. Officers were able to upload information about potential suspects and vehicles shortly after arriving on scene.

The Flock system picked up a suspected vehicle at 9:02 p.m. on Pope Avenue, Tanner said. Officers made a traffic stop at 9:07 p.m. on the Cross Island Frazier bridge, where they came across six people in the vehicle that were eventually interviewed and detained at the BCSO substation on Hilton Head. Officers saw items being thrown from the car window as the police pursued the traffic stop, the sheriff said.

So far, 13 criminal charges have been filed against four individuals, and information is still being gathered on another suspect, Tanner said. He said the ages range from 17 to 19 years old, and one of the suspects was shot.

Jayden Hawes, 18, Quazeir Davis, 17, and Marcello Royal, 17, were charged with attempted murder, aggravated breach of peace and charges relating to the possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Davis and Royal were also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

Christopher Capers, 17, was charged with accessory after the fact.

Tanner said that the business of the Coligny beach area warrants the need for the surveillance cameras.

“It’s critical and crucial that we continue to invest our energy and our money into things that work,” Tanner said. “Technology is just one of those things.” He pointed to the camera’s continual availability and 24/7 access. He also said the Coligny Beach area needs total camera coverage.

Four weapons have been recovered so far, Tanner said, and one weapon found on the beach was converted to fully automatic capabilities.

Lt. Daniel Allen, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said no new information was available as of Monday morning. The investigation remains ongoing, Allen said.

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 10:14 AM.