Officials in South Carolina are investigating a shooting that left at least four people dead and 20 injured at a bar on St. Helena Island early Sunday morning.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of a shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill just before 1 a.m.
“Upon arriving at the scene deputies made contact with a large crowd of people, several of which were suffering from gunshot wounds,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “It was learned that hundreds of people were at the location when the shooting occurred.”
Victims and witnesses ran to local businesses and homes to seek shelter during the shooting, according to the sheriff's office.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene and four others were taken to local hospitals in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said. At least 20 people were injured in the shooting.
“Several victims” were taken to a local hospital, and additional victims went to nearby hospitals themselves for injuries sustained in the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office did not release any of the victims’ names, adding that the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office may release additional information pending notification of next of kin.
“The circumstances of this incident are still under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
Photos from the scene early Sunday morning showed a large police presence at the bar.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she was "completely heartbroken" to learn about the shooting.
"Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence," she wrote in a post on X.
The sheriff’s office said it is “investigating persons of interest” in connection with the incident and is asking anyone with information to contact it.
Sunday’s shooting on St. Helena Island follows a wave of gun violence in Mississippi this weekend that left nine dead and many more injured.
The Mississippi shootings happened near schools and universities celebrating homecoming, with the highest death count, six, coming out of Leland after a high school homecoming game ended in tragedy on Friday.
Two people were killed in Heidelberg at its eponymous high school during a football game-day celebration on Friday, while one person was killed on Alcorn State University’s campus on the same day.
One person was also killed at Jackson State University near the tailgate section of its football stadium on Saturday.
Last week, South Carolina State University went into lockdown after two unrelated shootings on the campus left one person dead and two people injured.
CORRECTION (Oct. 12, 2025, 5:25 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the state Rep. Nancy Mace represents. It is South Carolina, not Mississippi.
