US shooting leaves multiple dead at bar as 20 injured in 'senseless' attack

A mass shooting at a packed bar on a picturesque South Carolina island has claimed four lives and left at least 20 wounded, authorities have confirmed.

The gunfire erupted at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island during the early hours of Sunday morning, local officials reported. A substantial crowd was present when sheriff's deputies reached the scene and discovered multiple individuals with gunshot injuries.

"Multiple victims and witnesses ran to the nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gun shots," the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on the social media platform X. "This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone. We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones."

Four people were found dead at the location, whilst at least 20 others sustained injuries in the mass shooting. Among those wounded, four remain in critical condition at local hospitals. The identities of the casualties have not been disclosed.

"COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN to learn about the devastating shooting in Beaufort County," US Rep. Nancy Mace posted on X. "Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence."

This horrific incident unfolded in South Carolina following another deadly incident of gun violence at high school homecoming celebrations in Mississippi, which ended in a deadly shooting spree.

Two separate incidents of gunfire on opposite ends of the state on Friday night resulted in at least eight fatalities and numerous injuries, the Mirror reports. Six individuals lost their lives in downtown Leland after a high school football homecoming game in the Mississippi Delta region on the state's western edge, as confirmed by the county coroner.

Washington County Coroner La'Quesha Watkins released a statement confirming that four people were killed on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Approximately 20 people sustained injuries in the shooting, which occurred after spectators gathered in the downtown area post-game, as reported by state Sen. Derrick Simmons.

Among the injured, four were critically wounded and had to be airlifted from a nearby Greenville hospital to a larger medical facility in Jackson, the state capital. Simmons was kept abreast of the situation by law enforcement authorities in the Delta.

"People were just congregating and having a good time in the downtown of Leland," Simmons said about the town, which has a population of fewer than 4,000 residents. He described the aftermath of the shooting as "very chaotic," with police, sheriff's deputies, and ambulances responding from all over.

"It's just senseless gun violence," he lamented. "What we are experiencing now is just a proliferation of guns just being in circulation."