28-05-2025
‘Isolated in nature': Horry County official says no public threat remains in aftermath of Little River charter boat shooting
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — As the investigation into Sunday night's mass shooting on a chartered party boat in Little River continued Wednesday without an arrest, an Horry County Police Department spokesperson reiterated that it was an isolated incident.
The shooting aboard the Hurricane II, based in Calabash, North Carolina, occurred while the boat was docked and wounded 11 people, three of whom remained in the hospital on Tuesday, Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt said at a news conference on Tuesday.
News13 asked Horry County officials on Wednesday for an update on the search for the shooter, information about evidence and whether the public should be concerned about safety in the wake of the shooting.
'Based upon various incident details pertinent to the investigation, the shooting is believed to be isolated in nature,' Horry County police spokesperson Mikayla Moskov said. 'There is currently no intel to suggest the incident has the potential to expand beyond what already occurred Sunday.'
Asked why the police department waited until Tuesday — two days after the incident — to speak about the shooting publicly at a news conference, Moskov said information and updates are being released when possible.
Moskov added that the investigation is 'active and ongoing,' and that 'details about evidentiary items in any active and ongoing case would not be available for release.'
Leonhardt said Tuesday that the investigation is more complex because many of those on the boat were from out of town.
Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard provided News13 with information about the Hurricane II and its captain. The agency was not involved in responding to the initial incident.
'The Coast Guard attended the vessel on Monday and verified there was no resultant damage from the incident that occurred the prior evening,' a spokesman said in an email. 'The vessel had been under the control of a qualified master who holds a U.S. Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential that corresponds to the size and operation of the HURRICANE II.'
The Coast Guard spokesman said the number of people on the boat — 120 passengers and four crews, according to Horry County police — was within allowable limits.
News13 has reached out to Coast Guard Sector North Carolina for more information about the boat, including its certificate of inspection. Coast Guard Sector Charleston is also conducting a 'comprehensive investigation' into the incident.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the HCPD tip line at 843-915-8477.
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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.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work here.
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