Two wounded in Burton shooting, school lockdowns lifted, police say

Updated 5:31 p.m.

A shooting on Jennings Road in Burton sent two people to the hospital with gunshot wounds on Thursday afternoon, police say.

The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m., and “multiple suspects” fled before deputies arrived, according to a press release from Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

Two adult male victims with gunshot wounds were transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. As of 5:30 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office did not have an update on the victims’ condition, spokesman Bob Bromage said.

Suspects were not identified after an attempt to track them using a helicopter and K-9 units, which prompted modified lockdowns and a delayed dismissal at nearby Battery Creek High School and Robert Smalls International Academy.

Both schools were on lockdown for about an hour, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. In a modified lockdown, the school day continues as normal, but class changes are halted and all students are brought inside.

“There’s no indication of any involvement with the schools whatsoever,” Bromage said. He noted that the incident didn’t appear to be retaliatory.

Burton resident Ryan Doray, who has lived in the area for more than 15 years, said he learned about the shooting when he returned home to a road full of police vehicles.

“This doesn’t happen here,” Doray said. “It is just a good neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone.”

Anyone with information on the Jennings Road shooting is encouraged to call Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 843-524-2777 or Crimestoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111, if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 3:48 PM.

Rachel Jones

The Island Packet

843-631-6039

Rachel Jones covers education for the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for the Daily Tar Heel and Charlotte Observer. She has won awards from the South Carolina Press Association, Associated College Press and North Carolina College Media Association for feature writing and education reporting.