A HOLIDAY hotspot turned into a scene of terror as an 18-year-old went on a shooting rampage, injuring 11 people before being shot dead by an officer.
Tourists and families were sent running for cover along Myrtle Beach’s busy Ocean Boulevard after gunfire erupted just before midnight on Saturday.
GettyThe shooting happened along North Ocean Boulevard[/caption]
Getty11 people were injured and the shooter was shot dead by an officer[/caption]
Jerrius Davis, 18, from Bennettsville, allegedly fired the weapon in Myrtle Beach, a popular tourist area in South Carolina.
He was shot dead by a police officer, according to local reports.
The teen was killed at 913 N. Ocean Blvd, listed as the tourist attraction Ripley’s Mirror Maze, according to Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard.
The officer, who was reportedly not injured, opened fire in response to an “active threat”, Myrtle Beach Police said.
Horrified bystander Michael Howard, 30, was on vacation from North Carolina with his family and witnessed the moment Davis was shot.
“I saw the guy fall over dead in front of me,” he told Myrtle Beach paper, The Sun News.
He recalled how he had just returned to the scene after taking his niece back to the hotel.
“I remember bullets ringing in my ears,” he said.
Howard said people began scattering when someone shouted “gun” shortly before the shooting.
He also claimed he saw a woman being shot in the knees during the chaos.
Howard said that he and other bystanders would forever be traumatized by the shooting.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has launched an investigation into the shooting.
It will determine whether the use of force by the Myrtle Beach Police officer was justified, according to police spokesperson Randolph Angotti.
North Ocean Boulevard between Eighth and 16th Avenues remained sealed off until Sunday afternoon.
Police tape was draped across streets, as officers investigated areas near Peaches Corner and Ripley’s Crazy Golf.
Locals and tourists were left shaken, with many describing how they were forced to take shelter in hotel rooms and nearby businesses during the gunfire.
Myrtle Beach Police said: “The department offers its prayers and deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this incident.”
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