By: Snigdha Chakravarti
On Sunday, October 12th, just after 1am, shots went off just outside Willie’s Bar and Grill, a restaurant in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. Panic flooded the streets as people desperately attempted to look for shelter in nearby businesses. Bar owner Willie Turral described the scene as “screaming and panic fear” as shots went off “in bursts” outside his restaurant. In the end, 20 were injured and 4 were dead. Investigation regarding plausible suspects is ongoing, but the shooting has impacted many who live on the island.
What started off as a high school alumni reunion quickly spiraled into fear and chaos as shooting started outside the Willie’s Bar and Grill. Turral remarked that prior to the shooting, “it was everything you would have wanted from an alumni party,” calling it a “successful night” up to that point. In fact, right before gunshots were heard, Turral held a celebratory toast. When the shooting happened, Turral said how it was a “complete reversal,” shifting from a “fantastic time” to a “mayhem.” People were desperately trying to find safety during the shooting, and Turral expressed that inside his restaurant, it was “scary” seeing this happen. Outside in the parking lot, paramedics were performing CPR on several victims, a scene that Turral described as “unreal.” Among the 4 who died was one of the bar’s security officers, and another victim was also known to Turral.
After a detailed investigation, the police identified the dead as Kashawan Glaze, 22; Chiraad Smalls, 33; Amos Gary, 54; and A’shan’tek Milledge, 22. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying that, “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.” No arrests have been made yet, but the office is investigating a “person of interest.” Additionally, Republican Representative Nancy Mace, whose congressional districts include St. Helena Island, commented on social media that she felt “completely heartbroken” by the tragic event and that her “prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence.”
The town of St. Helena Island itself has a storied history. Home to over 50,000 Gullahs, a group of African Americans from West Africa, St. Helena Island was once a rice plantation where several Gullahs had labored prior to the Civil War. Many Gullahs currently can trace their origin back to these enslaved Gullahs, so the island is a key component of their identity. Willie’s Bar and Grill also serves Gullah cuisine, and it sees itself as a community “committed to giving back,” especially to youth.
This shooting has hit the hearts of many in St. Helena Island, but it also underscores one of the most evident challenges in this day and age: mass violence. Similar tragedies are occurring across the country as the trend for mass violence increases.
I live in Saint Helena, six miles south of Willie’s. I cannot believe that there were two, three or four hundred people at the location and NOBODY saw anything.
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