Search continues for juvenile slaying suspect in Coligny Beach shooting

A juvenile suspect remains at large following a fatal shooting Sunday of a Hilton Head Island teenager at Coligny Beach Park.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office has not named the male subject accused of shooting and killing Dominique Williams, 17, while he walked with his friends at the beach access at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday. He was shot just south of the park's water fountain.

Investigators said they have been in contact with people associated with the juvenile, who is a local resident, but released no further information about him Monday. Upon his arrest, a Family Court judge would determine whether he would be charged as an adult.

On Monday afternoon, Sheriff P.J. Tanner said he was not concerned that withholding the suspect's name would limit the number of people who could help deputies find him. Tanner said that the more than 100 teenagers who were present at Coligny Beach Park during the shooting recognized the suspect and are best equipped to share information about him.

"I'm sure it's being heavily discussed among young people on Hilton Head, probably even off the island," Tanner said. "I'm comfortable there are plenty of eyes and ears out there who know who this person is."

Sunday's fatal shooting was the first homicide on Hilton Head Island this year and the third in southern Beaufort County out of a total of eight murders in 2015.

The slaying was likely retaliation for a dispute that occurred the night before, Tanner said.

According to the preliminary investigation by the Sheriff's Office, Williams was in a fist fight with another juvenile on Saturday outside Cordillo Courts apartments on Cordillo Parkway. The same person who lost the fight allegedly shot him in a crowd of people at Coligny Beach Park.

"When people go to that extent to resolve an issue without any thought of remorse or any even thought of accountability on what they did, it's just pure violence," Tanner said. "That's probably the best description of what happened last night. It's almost cold-hearted."

Tanner said he was disturbed that someone so young would be so motivated for revenge as to find a gun.

He wasn't surprised, though. In recent years, he's seen more disputes among young people turn violent and more young people carrying guns, though he declined to say whether Williams or any of his friends was armed Sunday.

"I don't know if what happened on Saturday was so embarrassing or what have you that this person felt he had no other choice but to regain his reputation by being so bold in his vindication of what happened to him," Tanner said. "It's not something that we're used to."

Williams was shot once and died at the scene, according to deputies.

Witnesses told officers the suspect spoke to Williams just before he shot him, though Capt. Bob Bromage declined to comment on what was said.

Deputies are working to acquire and review footage of the beach access from the time of the shooting, as well as some video from Saturday's fight, Tanner said.

Portions of Coligny Beach area were closed for about four hours as deputies investigated the shooting, Bromage said.

A forensic autopsy of Williams is scheduled for Tuesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. That will determine what kind of gun the suspect used and where Williams was shot.

Deputies are investigating how the suspect got the weapon, which has not been recovered.

Williams attended Hilton Head Island High School as a freshman in 2014-2015, but was no longer enrolled, Beaufort County School District spokesman Jim Foster said.

A friend of William's mother, Tracee Spencer, said Monday morning the victim was a bright teenager with an even brighter future.

"We as a community need to help find peace," Spencer, of Bluffton, wrote in a Facebook post.

"Individuals with no compassion for others is a scary reality," she continued. "Please continue to pray for my dear friend and her family. They need a lot of strength and faith to proceed through the future."

Anyone with information about the shooting can call Staff Sgt. Eric Calendine at 843-255-3427, or Crime Stoppers at 888-CrimeSC if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.

Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca. Reporter Dan Burley contributed to this story.

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Search continues for juvenile slaying suspect in Coligny Beach shooting."