SC Gov. McMaster: St. Helena shooting ‘unfortunate,’ gun bans not the answer
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St. Helena Mass Shooting
A mass shooting on St. Helena Island killed four people and left a quiet seaside community reeling.
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Following the Sunday mass shooting on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said that judges need to start imposing stricter sentences for violent criminals and repeat offenders.
Speaking after delivering the keynote address at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the Region event, McMaster said the shooting was ‘unfortunate,’ that he had not spoken to local authorities about the incident and that Sheriff P.J. Tanner likely had it under control.
“I haven’t spoken to [Tanner]. I think some of the folks in my office have spoken to him, but he’s a quite able sheriff and whatever he says, I think you can depend on that. He’ll give you all the information he thinks he ought to,” McMaster said.
Violent crime, the governor said, is the result of gaps and weaknesses in the law enforcement system.
“You can’t just have laws. We passed laws upping sentences for people and offenders and all that. You can have all the laws in the world, but if you don’t have judges that understand all of that and enforce them and are serious about it then you’re going to keep on having this,” McMaster said.
He said he’s in favor of requiring all magistrates in South Carolina to also be attorneys, because often times sentencing involves a deep knowledge of the intricacies of the law. Adding this requirement, he said will ensure that sentencing is stricter across the board for violent or repeat offenders
The shooting occurred at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island early Sunday morning. Witnesses described hearing rapid-fire shots from what sounded like an automatic weapon. Twenty people were shot during the incident, four are in critical condition and four passed away.
The victims are Amos Gary, 54, of St. Helena; A’shan’tek Milledge, 22, from Burton; Chiraad “Roddi” Smalls, 33, from Beaufort; and Kashawn “KK” Smalls-Glaze, 22, of Beaufort.
No charges have been filed as of Wednesday afternoon. At a Wednesday morning press conference, Tanner said two to three people were involved in an ongoing feud that resulted in the exchange of gunfire. Two or more Beaufort County residents were involved, Tanner said, but he declined to elaborate further.
Tanner criticized what he considers “ridiculous” low bonds granted to suspects in machine gun possession cases, and witnesses not identifying shooters to law enforcement out of fear.
The sheriff’s department has not released any information about weapons used, or how many shots were fired. But Tanner did say machine guns were becoming a big problem in the community, including “switches” that allow legal semi-automatic guns to be converted to machine gun capabilities.
McMaster said banning guns is not the solution. He cited the Second Amendment and said guns are a way people can defend themselves against tyranny. He said he’s willing to bet that the gun used in the Willie’s incident was purchased illegally.
“People say we just ban guns and everything will be okay. Illegal guns will still be there, and that’s what’s doing most of the killing now,” he said.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
