Sixth person arrested in Hilton Head Beach shooting charged with machine gun possession
A sixth person has been arrested and charged in connection to the Fourth of July shooting at Coligny Beach, and police allege he possessed a machine gun.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday the arrest of Amarion Jameer Riley, 22, of Ridgeland on Friday morning on charges of unlawful possession of a machine gun and breach of peace, aggravated in nature.
Riley is the sixth individual charged in the aftermath of the Fourth of July shooting at Coligny Beach. Three suspects – Jayden Hawes, 18, Marcello Royal, 17, and Quazeir Davis, 17 – have been charged with attempted murder, breach of peace and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Royal and Davis were also charged for unlawful possession of weapons.
Christopher Capers, 17, of St. Helena Island was charged with accessory after the fact, and Jacob Malik Johnson, 22, of Beaufort, was charged with breach of peace, aggravated in nature.
Riley is the only suspect charged with possession of a machine gun. Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said at a press conference one firearm recovered from the shooting was illegally converted into a machine gun. Machine guns fire continuously with a single trigger-pull.
Riley was one of the eight people injured in the shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was later identified as a suspect. He is also the first non-Beaufort County resident charged.
There are around 30 to 35 machine gun possession cases pending in Beaufort County, Tanner said. Firearms converted into machine guns are classified as machine guns, he said.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received reports of gunshots at around 8:20 p.m. July 4th. Eight people received non-fatal gunshot wounds and some were treated at local hospitals.
The investigation determined the shooting originated from an altercation between two groups of people, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the two groups, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information about the shooting to contact investigator Sgt. Aaron at 843-255-3436. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County using the P3 Tips app, by visiting TIPSBFT.com, or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT.