By Andy Brack | Ever since 18 people were shot during recent Easter weekend rampages at a Columbia mall and a Hampton County nightclub, police across South Carolina have been busy investigating and arresting people after multiple incidents of gun violence.
In addition to shootings this week in Rock Hill, Anderson, Greenville, Greenwood, Murrells Inlet, Florence, North Charleston and Columbia, a Cayce police officer died early Sunday after responding to a domestic disturbance in which a suspect reportedly opened fire.
“Our hearts are breaking in Cayce,” Cayce Mayor Elise Partin told a Columbia-area television station after the death of Officer Roy Andrew “Drew” Barr. “Officer Drew Barr has been an important part of the Cayce family since 2016.”
Gov. Henry McMaster ordered flags to half-staff on Thursday at the Statehouse and on state buildings to recognize Barr, whose funeral was Thursday.
The governor also pledged in an April 26 statement to back a Democratic-led proposal to curb gun violence and promote tougher laws on illegal gun possession.
Among the other shootings during the week:
MURRELLS INLET: Three people were shot early Wednesday in a Murrells Inlet home. A 76-year-old man died.
GREENVILLE: Two teens were hurt in a Wednesday shooting at a Greenville County park.
ROCK HILL: Police on Tuesday night found two dead on the side of the road in Rock Hill, as well as one dead in a car and the fourth injured from a gunshot to the arm. Police arrested a 17-year-old, who was charged with two counts of murder.
ANDERSON: On Tuesday night, Anderson police collected evidence after an apartment parking lot shooting involving two youths. It apparently was connected to a Monday night shooting (described below).
NORTH CHARLESTON: Shots rang out Monday night near a North Charleston park as a youth baseball game was underway. Players and parents scattered. Now parents are demanding answers from city leaders on what they’re doing to make the area safer.
ANDERSON: Around the same time in Anderson, two people were treated for injuries after a drive-by shooting. Again, children were playing ball in a nearby field when the shooting occurred.
COLUMBIA: Police responded to a “shots fired” call Monday night on Millwood Avenue. One person was hurt.
GREENWOOD: Police arrested a man after a Saturday morning shooting left a man in critical condition. Police were searching for two others.
FLORENCE: Four separate shootings between Friday evening and Sunday morning, left four dead, including an 11-year old boy and a teenager. Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin reassured the citizens of Florence that police are there to not only handle crimes, but to work with the public to help prevent similar situations from happening. There have been more than 100 shootings this year in the Pee Dee, according to this report.
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