Some Ocean Boulevard businesses closing earlier on weekends after deadly officer-involved shooting
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Some businesses on Ocean Boulevard are closing earlier on weekends for safety reasons, following the Myrtle Beach police officer-involved shooting in April.
Myrtle Beach police say just before midnight on April 26, 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville fired shots into a crowd of people between 9th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard.
An officer shot and killed Davis. Eleven people were injured during the shooting, including 15-year-old Serenity Chavis, who claims she was hit by an officer's bullet.
An employee at a clothing and gift shop called Generationx, who wanted to remain anonymous, says the store has not changed its hours since the shooting.
However, she says she needs to stay safe at work, for her children at home and her fellow employees.
'What I really think about is the people injured, and how that could've been me or one of my employees,' she said. 'That right there, alone, put a little bit of fear in my little heart.'
The employee says that before the shooting, she would leave the store around midnight. Now, she leaves at 9 p.m.
With peak tourism season just around the corner, the employee is worried the shooting may mean fewer customers and less money this year.
'Is it going to really stop the flow?' she asked. 'That's really what everybody's questioning at the moment. I pray that it don't.'
The employee is also concerned that visitors are learning about the shooting and thinking they are not safe shopping downtown.
'We should be able to thrive a little bit better,' she said. 'Well, we should be able to, if people would put that a little bit to the side. It really don't have nothing to do with the businesses. You got to look at other stuff, not the businesses.'
News13 spoke to employees at Myrtle Beach Fries and Boardwalk Paradise General Store, who are temporarily closing their stores earlier on weekends because of the shooting.
They did not want to talk on-camera.
One Myrtle Beach Fries employee says she is closing earlier, but only until tourism season begins on Memorial Day Weekend.
Boardwalk Paradise General Store is also closing a few hours earlier, until they receive more information about the shooting from the city and police department.
News13 also spoke to Governor Henry McMaster at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic Pro-Am on Wednesday. He says both businesses and their customers should feel safe on Ocean Blvd.
'They should realize that these things happen all over the place,' McMaster said. 'They don't happen here like they do in other places. We have great law enforcement. I would say be smart, be careful, and have a good time. I think they'll be very pleased with their visit.'
A city spokesperson sent News13 a statement that said, in part, 'I don't think the decision of two businesses is reflective of the dozens of businesses in operation along this area of Ocean Boulevard.'
She also said it is normal for business hours to change closer to the start of tourism season, and that the Myrtle Beach Police Department will have a strong presence on Ocean Boulevard.
* * *
Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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