Victims of St. Helena Island mass shooting identified

ST. HELENA ISLAND, SC. (WTOC) - We have been working to try and get you the latest information on a tragic event that claimed the lives of four people and injured 20 others, but the sheriff’s office isn’t answering any questions.

FULL BREAKDOWN: Mass shooting on St. Helena Island: at least 20 injured, including 4 dead

The victims have been identified as 22-year-olds Kashawn Glaze and A’Shan’tek Milledge, then 33-year-old Chiraad Smalls and 54-year-old Amos Gary.

All four were Beaufort County residents and we were told one of the victims was working security for an alumni event that had hundreds of people attending.

20 others were injured, four of which were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Searching for answers after SC mass shooting

Monday, we reached out to the sheriff’s office for the latest on several occasions and are still awaiting a response from them.

We asked them to see if they have a motive, if any arrests have been made, updates on the victims in the hospitals, how many people were hit by gunfire and how many suffered other injuries.

We also asked about response time to the shooting and if they have had problems in the past at this establishment along with other questions about the persons of interest they are investigating.

Here is a list of every question WTOC’s Lowcountry reporter Aaron Dixon asked the sheriff’s office:

• What’s the latest on the investigation?
• Any arrests?
• Update on victims?
• How many victims suffered gunshot wounds, how many suffered other injuries?
• Were the guns used in the shooting found on the scene?
• Why didn’t you guys update the community throughout the day yesterday?
• How many persons of interest are y’all looking into?
• What was the response time for this event?
• Message to the community following a national news event like this?
• Next steps for the department, are you guys going to start adding more deputies on St. Helena?
• Motive behind this shooting?
• Was this shooting supposed to be targeted at one or two parties?
• Are any other departments involved in this investigation?
• When will be the next major update?
• Upcoming press conference in the works?
• Have you guys had problems with this establishment in the past?
• Are you guys familiar with the persons of interest and do they have prior criminal history?

We spoke with York Glover on the phone, the county councilman who represents the area, who says the shooting is tragic and that it raises questions about safety in the area.

He says he plans on talking with the sheriff’s department to see if they could possibly beef up patrols on the island and even looking into having a sheriff’s office location out there.

He also says he will investigate how people are planning events and some safety precautions they may need to start taking in the future.

St. Helena community reacts to tragic mass shooting

WTOC spoke to several people in this tight-knit community Monday, and while they say tragedies like this are rare there, they’re staying strong and they’re determined to get through this together.

A memorial stands in front of Willie’s Bar and Grill, honoring those who lost their lives. Jayme Bowman was among many who stopped by to pay their respects, leaving a candle.

She’s lived on St. Helena Island for years and lives just down the street from the bar.

Bowman says she knows the owner, Willie Turral. And while she, like many others, doesn’t know what led to the shooting, she says this tragedy will not break their small community.

“It’s just really sad for the community. But our community, we’ll pull together- we always do. I’m sure that the police are going to find who did this,” said Bowman.

Willie Turral, the owner of the bar, says he’s doing his best to stay strong during this difficult time.

SEE: Bar owner, St. Helena community left picking up the pieces after tragic mass shooting

St. Helena mother says daughter among injured victims in tragic mass shooting

WTOC spoke with Maria Pinckney. Her daughter was attending the event and was shot under the chin.

“My daughter she was hit under her chin and the bullet went out the side of her neck. When I received the call I was devastated. I couldn’t believe all of this would happen in such a small town,” said Pinckney.

She says her daughter, who is a mother of two, remains in the hospital. Pinckney also has a message for those involved in the tragedy.

“My heart goes out to all the families that lost their loved ones and whose kids were injured. My prayers really go out, I’m so sad and hurt because this is just sad for our little town and we want everyone to know St. Helena Island is not like this it is a wonderful place to live at,” said Pinckney.

Pinckney says her daughter is able to talk and is on the road to recovery, but she continues to ask for prayers.