Latest news with #HorryCountySchools
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Little River shooting latest episode of high-profile crimes since March
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start of tourism season on the Grand Strand, when some 25 million people annually flock to the region for its sun-soaked beaches and family attractions. Visitors making their way to the greater Myrtle Beach area this year are doing so amid a two-month spate of headline-grabbing crimes that include at least one mass shooting, multiple police chases and numerous arrests. Here's a look back at some of the high-profile incidents since March. Aaron Graydon Musick, 50, resigned March 10 from his job teaching physical education at Waterway Elementary School in Little River after being arrested on drug charges. Musick had been 'acting differently' and was 'disheveled' and in an 'altered state of mind' while at work, according to a police report. He also was 'late on multiple occasions' and 'failed required tests for his position at the school,' the report said. Musick was charged with possession with intent to distribute drugs near a school and manufacturing, distribution and possession of narcotics. Musick has since been barred from all Horry County Schools campuses and is due back in court on May 30. The state Department of Education in April suspended his teaching certificate. State law enforcement authorities broke up the first of two large-scale regional dogfighting operations on March 14, when 123 Kennels in Georgetown County was raided — officials seized 30 'pit-bull type dogs' and charged Edward Lee Moultrie Jr., 48, and his father, 78, with multiple counts of animal fighting and ill treatment of animals. According to warrants, Moultrie Jr. had 30 'pit bull-type dogs' that he kept at his business, 123 Kennels. Many showed signs of being used for 'fighting or baiting' and were 'in a standard of care less than required by statute. Authorities found the dogs while searching the business on Tuesday. Investigators found a personal online account dated Jan. 27 that tied Moultrie Jr. to the animals, the warrants said. It detailed the 'champion bloodline lineage' of one male dog he claimed to own as part of the kennel business and claimed that it had once won a fight lasting 24 minutes. Some of the dogs had been 'subjected to necessary pain and suffering and 'tethered by heavy logging chains,' the warrants said. Some had also gone without proper medical care and had 'scarring consistent with dogfighting.' The Moultries were booked into the Georgetown County Detention Center. Moultrie Jr. is being held on a $48,000 bond, according to booking records. Moultrie Sr. posted a $5,000 bond has was released. During the first week of April, authorities dismantled a multi-county dog fighting ring in the Pee Dee that led to more than 100 animals being seized along with large amounts of drugs and weapons. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division chief Mark Keel said an April 7 news conference that 11 people had been arrested at locations in Dillon and Marion counties. Gov. Henry McMaster, who as attorney general in the early 2000s oversaw one of the biggest dog fighting cases ever, said the blood sport is a blemish on the state he loves. 'This is an unspeakable thing that's happening in our state,' he said. 'These dogs have been raised and made into mean animals, strong and ready to fight. When they get into that pit, usually only one gets out.' Since 2023 when lawmakers created a dog fighting unit under SLED, more than 500 animals have been rescued — leading to 116 arrests on more than 470 charges, Keel said. The problem is particularly bad in the Pee Dee, according to SLED stats. Of the 478 investigations carried out by its dog fighting unit, 203 have been in Darlington, Dillon and Marion counties — or 43%. The figure jumps to 243 when Georgetown County is included. Hours after a late-night shooting on Myrtle Beach's Ocean Boulevard, authorities identified the gunman as 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville, who was shot and killed by an officer responding to the scene. Eleven people were hurt in what police described as a large altercation. Three officers have been placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting — standard procedure as the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigates all officer-involved shootings. On May 20, three people including a juvenile were taken into custody in connection with the incident, although not tied directly to the shooting. Jaeishala Fox, the mother of Jerrius Davis, told News13 that her family has met with investigators from SLED about the shooting. SLED said Davis was 'armed' and 'shooting into a crowd,' an allegation that Fox disputes. Ja'Niya Richburg was just ending an historic Loris High School basketball career when she was killed after a bullet sailed into her boyfriend's Conway home on Horry Street. News13 spoke with Loris head coach Doug Gause in January, when Richburg officially recorded 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career points for the Lions — becoming the first player in school history to do so. Gause, at the time, said Richburg's impressive achievements were 'a testament to her hard work.' Richburg had plans to enroll in pre-med at the University of South Carolina in the fall. 'It's always been my thing since I was younger,' she told News13 in January. 'I chose that because of the environment I'm always in, I want to go far and be able to provide for my family. I want to envision myself as the best I could be, you know, getting through school and having people to motivate me along the way. I should be okay; I have faith in myself.' Conway police on May 2 charged 19-year-old Derrick Que'swhan Ashley with Richburg's murder. Horry County authorities seized more than 25 pounds of fentanyl with a street value of more than $1 million May 9 after a pursuit that ended with a crash near Pine Island Road in Myrtle Beach. Police later identified Omega Junior Wilson as the suspect, who was charged with failure to stop for a blue light with great bodily injury and trafficking in fentanyl. The chase happened at about 4 p.m., and at least one bystander was hurt. Police were able to retrieve the items that were thrown from the vehicle, which amounted to 25.3 pounds of fentanyl. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, one kilogram of the drug can produce up to 1.5 million pill dosage units and has the potential to kill 500,000 people. 'Long story short — a lot of people could and would be harmed if these drugs were left out in the community,' HCPD said in the Facebook post. Four people face a range of charges after a string of robberies along Highway 17 and N. Kings Highway — including one in the parking lot of Broadway at the Beach. The first incident happened in the 1100 block of Celebrity Circle, the parking lot of Broadway at the Beach, where two victims were approached at gunpoint and robbed while at their vehicle, police said. A second, similar incident happened in the 2200 block of N. Ocean Boulevard, where two people approached a man in the parking lot, robbed him at gunpoint, and fled, according to police. The third incident happened in the 4000 block of N. Kings Highway, where a woman — a Burky's employee — was inside the restaurant when her partner's vehicle was shot at as he waited to pick her up around 11:30 p.m. A fourth incident happened in the 6600 block of Colonial Drive, where a man was taken from a parking lot at gunpoint and forced to withdraw cash from an ATM before he was released, police said. The suspects hit the victim, who is now in the hospital, in the back of the head. It happened at about 1:30 a.m. Two people were charged and two others released after an intense May 22 pursuit that included police being shot at as they tried to stop the armed, masked suspects traveling in a stolen vehicle along Highway 17 Bypass. Capt. John Evans with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department said that the pursuit started in Market Common and went along Farrow Parkway. Police later clarified that the pursuit began in the area of Twilight Surf Motel off 17th Ave. South. Around 8:30 a.m., Horry County police were asked to assist MBPD as the suspect was seen driving the wrong way in traffic at 'excessive speeds,' HCPD said. The suspect's vehicle wrecked near 67th Avenue North and North Highway 17. Riley Pegram, 17, of Brown Summit, N.C., and Omarion Glass, 20, of Greensboro, were both denied bond on Friday. Glass is scheduled to appear in court again on July 25. News13 was present during the bond hearing on Friday, where Christopher White, the lead investigator for the case, said Glass was shooting an AR style rifle during the Thursday incident. A Myrtle Beach police officer also said that it was 'something out of a movie.' A dozen people were hurt after a series of fights broke out early Sunday morning at the Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in Atlantic Beach, the town's police chief told News13. 'There were a couple of fights that broke out, causing panic in the crowd and several people were injured trying to leave the area,' Chief Carlos Castillo Jr. said. 'Adequate police and medical staff were on hand to aid as needed and transport individuals to the hospital.' Horry County Fire Rescue said Sunday afternoon that 12 people sustained non life-threatening injuries and six others signed medical waivers on scene. Ten people sustained gunshot wounds in a mass shooting in Little River on Sunday night, Horry County police said. The Watson Avenue incident left another person with an unknown, non-gunfire-related injury, HCPD said. The worst of the injured are in critical but stable condition at area hospitals. So far, police have not identified a suspect or suspects, but say the shooting was an 'isolated event that resulted from an altercation during a private Memorial Day weekend gathering on a charter boat.' Police said the boat was docked when the shooting ensued. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach police roll out acoustic gunshot detection system
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Myrtle Beach police last week rolled out an acoustic gunshot detection system that authorities say will quicken response times and provide officers with even more information in the field. 'This system has sensors throughout the city that listens for gunfire. That's all we're listening for. We don't do voices, we don't do music or vehicles,' Ricardo Hawkins of the department's real-time crime unit said in a Facebook post introducing the program. Deployed across more than 170 U.S. cities, ShotSpotter's technology allows gunshot victims to receive treatment much more quickly, assists with evidence collection and cuts down on dispatch times, according to a fact sheet on the company's website. 'These innovations not only enhance our abilities to combat crime but also ensure that residents and visitors feel safe and secure in their homes and throughout our community,' Myrtle Beach Ofc. First Class Alex Schaefer said in the department's Facebook message. ShotSpotter isn't the city's first foray into the use of acoustics as a crime-fighting tool. In 2023, the department partnered with Horry County Schools to implement a similar program. According to a 2018 company FAQ, ShotSpotter costs between $65,000 and $90,000 per square mile per year, along with a $10,000 one-time service initiation fee. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Horry County Schools may adjust bus stops as wildfire impacts continue
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County Schools might adjust bus stops this week as the Grand Strand continues to deal with smoke in the aftermath of two large weekend wildfires in the Carolina Forest. The potential adjustments come after many Grand Strand students and their parents woke up and headed to school and work amid a smoky haze created by weekend wildfires in the Carolina Forest area, the biggest of which covered 1,600 acres and is only 30% contained. 'All students arrived safely to school this morning, Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier told News13. 'Due to low visibility in several areas of the county, bus drivers moved cautiously with reduced speed. 'As anticipated, some buses arrived a bit late to school and bus loads were lighter than normal in the Carolina Forest attendance area. There may be modifications to transportation bus stops in the mornings and afternoons this week. The bus offices will communicate bus stop modifications as identified. Transportation delays this week are anticipated and the schools will accommodate late arrivals.' Bourcier said school officials did their best to prepare for the smoky conditions before students arrived at school Monday morning. 'All school outside air units in the Carolina Forest area were shut off last night, which allowed the air to circulate and not filter in outside air,' she said. 'When the winds shifted south this morning, the same was done to other affected schools.' Bourcier also expected that all HCS facilities have what are called Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization units. They use technology that 'safely creates and releases ions into the airstream using our existing HVAC system as the delivery method. The units safely filter particles including smoke, pollutants, dust, dander, pollen, pathogens such as mold, viruses, and bacteria.' While students are at school, Bourcier said nurses are available to evaluate health issues. If a child is ill, they will be sent home with an excused absence. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Horry County police investigate second hoax threat in 2 weeks at Carolina Forest High School
CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County police are investigating a second hoax threat at Carolina Forest High School in as many weeks, authorities said on Tuesday. Horry County officers responded to the school for a reported threat, police said. The school was searched while classes were in a 'hold' status and no true threat was found. 'Carolina Forest High School has again become the victim of another hoax call. The Horry County Police Department, SRO, SSO and administration has efficiently checked and cleared the campus, and their school day will continue on a modified bell schedule with much-needed academic instruction,' Horry County Schools said in a statement. 'I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their continued professionalism and the assistance they have provided for our school community.' The incident is the second hoax threat in as many weeks. Last Wednesday, Horry County Schools said a school resource officer was notified about a call received by law enforcement about a possible threat in a school restroom. A police report said the call came in shortly before lunchtime and that the caller said they had a bomb and knives in a restroom on campus. As a result, the school enacted its 'hold' emergency protocol for about 25 minutes while law enforcement personnel and school officials investigated the incident, the district said in an emailed statement. The district said on Tuesday that the safety of its students and staff is their top priority. Horry County Schools delays action on safety committee as superintendent crafts plan There have been similar threats at the school as recently as last year. In August, Trenton Alexander Brown, 20, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to first-offense making a bomb threat or conveying false information about a bomb threat. He was given a sentence under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed six years in prison, but the judge suspended the sentence to 18 months' probation instead. After Brown's plea, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson told News13 the April bomb threat was the result of an online prank between video game players. Two local juveniles were also arrested in April in connection with a string of threats at the school that included the one made by Brown. Horry County's police chief at the time, Joseph Hill, said those responsible would 'face justice.' Count on News13 for updates. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
Horry County authorities investigate hoax threat at Carolina Forest High School
CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County police are investigating after a hoax threat was called in to Carolina Forest High School Wednesday morning. Horry County Schools said a school resource officer was notified about a call received by law enforcement about a possible threat in a school restroom. Police said the call came in shortly before lunchtime. As a result, the school enacted its 'hold' emergence protocol for about 25 minutes while law enforcement personnel and school officials investigated the incident, the district said in an emailed statement. Both Horry County police and school officials said the threat was a hoax and there was no 'real' threat to the school or community. News13 has asked Horry County police for their report on the incident. There have been similar threats at the school as recently as last year. In August, Trenton Alexander Brown, 19, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to first-offense making a bomb threat or conveying false information about a bomb threat. He was given a sentence under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed six years in prison, but the judge suspended the sentence to 18 months' probation instead. After Brown's plea, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson told News13 the April bomb threat was the result of an online prank between video game players. Two local juveniles were also arrested in April in connection with a string of threats at the school that included the one made by Brown. Horry County's police chief at the time, Joseph Hill, said those responsible would 'face justice.' 'I think folks really think they're anonymous when they're lodging these threats via the internet, but they're not,' Hill said at the time.'Everyone leaves an electronic breadcrumb. Between the Horry County Police Department and our federal partners, we will find them, and we have.' Police said after Wednesday's incident that anyone with information about suspicious activity should call 911, their local law enforcement agency or nonemergency dispatch at 843-248-1520. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
