'TRAGIC AND DIFFICULT'

South Carolina Shooting Leaves Four Dead and 20 Injured

Authorities are investigating “persons of interest” in connection with the crime.

Officials are investigating a shooting that has left at least four people dead and 20 injured at a St. Helena Island bar in South Carolina. Authorities received several reports of a shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill early Sunday morning, shortly before 1 am. “Upon arriving at the scene deputies made contact with a large crowd of people, several of which were suffering from gunshot wounds,” said the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office in a statement. “It was learned that hundreds of people were at the location when the shooting occurred.” The sheriff’s office also shared that victims ran to local businesses and homes to seek shelter. As of reporting, four people were pronounced dead at the scene and 20 others were injured; four people were in critical condition and taken to area hospitals, according to authorities who did not release any of the victims’ names. “The circumstances of this incident are still under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said, revealing that it is looking into “persons of interest” in connection with the crime. “This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone...Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones,” the statement said. The Daily Beast has contacted Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for comment.