Downtown Myrtle Beach employees say armed teenagers disrupt tourist district

Yahoo

2 days ago

Teenagers and young adults who come to downtown Myrtle Beach to party have become a public safety issue, business owners and employees said.
The group will walk up and down the strip while not patronizing businesses, said a beach store owner who we will call Tom. He spoke on the condition of anonymity. The teenagers, who bring their guns, stand in front of his building and block customers while often drinking and smoking cigarettes or marijuana.
Tom stated he feared retaliation from city officials if he spoke out against the city leaders. Other store owners declined to be interviewed, citing the same reason.
At best, these teens are an annoyance; at worst, they are unpredictable young adults with deadly weapons.
On April 26 at about 11:50 p.m., Jerrius Davis, 18, shot four rounds into a group on North Ocean Boulevard near Mr. Fries, a Myrtle Beach Police video shows. In response, officer Brandon O'Rourke shot five rounds, which killed the Bennettsville teenager.
In total, 11 people were hurt in the shooting. It's unclear how many injuries were caused by Davis, as at least one person said she was allegedly shot by a Myrtle Beach police officer, The Sun News reported.
When The Sun News asked employees if downtown feels safe or dangerous, we got a variety of responses. One gift shop employee said he is from New York City and he has seen much worse, while Tom said people have flashed their guns at him in a threatening manner.
'It's kids with weapons, guns, thinking they can do whatever they want, that they are immune. It has a strong effect on the locals,' Tom said.
Downtown employees had different responses on the crime in downtown Myrtle Beach and the city's reaction.
Some applauded the local police officers, stating that they respond quickly when the boulevard turns ugly, while others blamed the increase in police presence for a drop in sales. The traffic loop, which shuts down the left-bound lane of North Ocean Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, is the most controversial.
Gustavo Alonso, who works at a gift shop on North Ocean Boulevard, said closing the lane causes the store to lose customers but he also does not blame police.
'I can't think of something else to do,' Alonso said.
Other employees, who declined to give their names, said the increased number of officers may scare away vacationers. There were a few police officers out at 6 p.m., but more appeared as the night went on.
Tom and Keko Henry, the manager at Shopicana Resort Wear, said they have been working with police to improve safety. For example, officers advised them to leave their lights on at night to deter people from standing outside the stores after hours.
Depending on the night, some stores will close early. Alonso said if it is too rowdy, he will shut down the store.
'During these times, we'd be closing around 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock. But since spring break, we have been closing at like 10 o'clock. 11 o'clock is pushing it,' Tom said.
The summer season has not begun, but Tom and Alonso said they have fewer customers than normal, although they do not blame this on the recent shooting. Tom said his sales had been declining prior to the shooting.
This is again blamed on the crowds. Alonso said he worries the large crowds of young people may scare away other tourists.
Tom and Alonso also blamed their lack of sales on the ban on vapes and drug paraphernalia in downtown Myrtle Beach. They said CBD products and pipes used to be popular items.
In an attempt to make the city more family-friendly in 2018, city council voted to ban the sale of these items on Ocean Boulevard from 6th Avenue South to 16th Avenue North, The Sun News reported.
In a press conference following the April shooting, Myrtle Beach Mayor Bethune said she does not want cheap motel rooms and sexually explicit T-shirts attracting the wrong kind of person to the city. Tom disagreed with this, stating that inappropriate t-shirts are not the real issue.
'I don't think any business selling a shirt that says 'I heart country boys' or 'Henny-thing can happen' or any of those sorts is affecting what's going on out there,' Tom said. 'What needs to be monitored is kids are walking around drunk with bottles of liquor.'