In Myrtle Beach, an investigation has been opened regarding an officer involved in a shooting. Myrtle Beach Police said officers saw a disturbance around 11:50 on Saturday night near the 900 block of North Ocean Boulevard. Police state they went and looked into the disturbance, and then they found 11 people who were injured and were receiving medical treatment; the person who was shot by the police’s response passed away from their injuries. Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard confirmed the identity of the person shot to News13 as 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville. The officer involved in the shooting was not injured, officials said. Police said during the altercation, officers saw someone fire a gun, at which time the department said an officer also fired their weapon in response. Zudia Purvis was at the shooting scene and said it was a horrifying moment. “I was walking the strip, and you know, I was coming back to my room, and you just hear shots going off and shots going off,” Purvis said. “Then you just hear somebody screaming for help, and then more shots pop off, and people start running and going crazy.”She said there wasn’t much time to think.“Like you hear ‘bang,’ then you see some people running, you hear somebody screaming ‘help’ like you know, you don’t know what to do but to run,” she said. SLED told WMBF News Reporter Steven Schlink that their investigation is active and more information is expected later on. SLED said this is the 17th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina, and the first for the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Michael Howard was also at the scene and said he didn’t expect to witness this on vacation.“Seeing the victims and what happened, it took a turn on the vacation,” Howard said. On Sunday, MBPD said all Ocean Boulevard traffic is reopened.

Howard said this experience will stick with him. “That traumatizing moment will forever be there, of what I’ve seen of what happened around me,” he said. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune told News13 that the swift action taken by the officer prevented further tragedy. “Our officer saw what happened, and when he saw that an altercation was taking place and a gun was being shot, the officer responded very quickly and, in my opinion, saved lives,” Bethune told the outlet. “Last night could have been so much worse.”Bethune added that she was on Ocean Boulevard about an hour before the shooting happened and wouldn’t have been if she felt unsafe.”This was an isolated incident. We had a huge crowd on the boulevard late last night, and we can’t always control what people are going to do, but we also can’t just shut ourselves in and do nothing,” Bethune said. “This is a great place to visit. It’s not an unsafe place at all. And I’m not making light of what happened in any way.” “Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach. Our hearts are torn apart for the victims and their families,” Mace wrote in a post on X.”Devastated by the tragic shooting in Myrtle Beach. Our hearts are torn apart for the victims and their families,” Mace wrote in a post on X. The police department said, “Our hearts and continued prayers are with all those affected, as well as their loved ones during this difficult time.”