At least four people have died and at least 20 have been injured in a shooting at a crowded bar on an idyllic South Carolina island, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA, citing a statement from authorities.
"Willie's Bar and Grill" on St. Helena Island was packed with people. Upon arrival, deputies found multiple people with gunshot wounds.
The 5,000 or so Gullah people living on the island can trace their ancestry to West African slaves who once worked in the area's rice fields before being freed during the Civil War.
Bar owner Willie Tural was inside the bar, which was packed with attendees at an alumni event for a local high school, when he heard "the bursts" of gunshots outside. "Screaming, panic and fear," he described the scene.
The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said in a statement in the "Ex" that many people had sought refuge from the shooting in nearby stores.
"This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone," the statement said. "We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones."
Four of the injured are in critical condition in hospitals. The identities of the victims have not been released.
Tural said the bar was hosting an alumni event for Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, about 10 miles northwest of the island. He said people were having fun when the shots were fired.
US Congresswoman Nancy Mays wrote in "Ex" that she was "COMPLETELY DEPRESSED after learning of the devastating shooting".
The restaurant advertises itself as serving authentic cuisine inspired by Gullah culture.
Smaller Gullah enclaves, called "gitchies" in some areas, are scattered along the southeastern coast of the United States from North Carolina to Florida. Scientists say the separation from the continent has allowed the Gullah to retain much of their African heritage, including a unique dialect and skills such as net fishing and basket weaving, the AP notes.