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Mass Casualty IncidentsVersion 2

One killed, 11 injured in Myrtle Beach shooting; federal lawsuit filed

A wounded teenager has been named by her mother as a plaintiff in a federal suit over the April 2025 shooting outside a restaurant on Ocean Boulevard.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 7, 2026, 9:19 a.m. ET

More on this incident

A shooting just before midnight on April 26, 2025, on Ocean Boulevard in , , left one person dead and people injured, according to WMBF News, which reported the death toll, and WMBF News and The Post and Courier, which both reported the injury figure. The Post and Courier attributes casualty details to a report by the Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Accounts of the location differ: WMBF News places the shooting at the level, near the 900 of Ocean Boulevard, while The Post and Courier identifies the itself. Both outlets place it at the . The Post and Courier reports that people were out on a crowded sidewalk outside the restaurant, including teenagers walking around downtown with friends, just before midnight; WMBF News describes a crowd of bystanders on a crowded sidewalk at the same location. One of the wounded has been named. Serenity Chavis, then 15, was shot in her right leg, according to her mother, Kendra Malloy, a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit; the account was reported by WMBF News and The Post and Courier. Officials have not released the identities of the person killed or of the other people injured. According to the as described by WMBF News and The Post and Courier, Jerrius Davis began firing at a group outside the restaurant just before midnight, and within five seconds Officer Brandon O'Rourke, who had been at Mr. Fries for an unrelated call, returned fire. Both outlets report the suspect is ; The Post and Courier reports he was shot by an officer. Earlier that same night, police responded to a separate shooting on 5th Avenue North involving the same groups, according to WMBF News. Police have not said what led to the shooting, and no motive has been established. The Police Department and SLED are among the responding agencies, according to WMBF News and The Post and Courier. Solicitor Jimmy Richardson is quoted by WMBF News using the phrase "in a reasonable manner"; the fuller context of his remarks is not in the material available. Casualty figures reported early are frequently revised.

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Revision history

  1. Version 37 Aug 2026, 13:19current

    Added headline and standfirst, and stated plainly that officials have not released the other identities; wording tightened, no new facts.

  2. Version 26 Aug 2026, 16:32

    Added the first named victim, Serenity Chavis, released by her mother; added the SLED report's account of the shooting and the officer's return of fire, the officer-involved manner of the suspect's death, and the conflicting location and setting descriptions.

  3. Version 27 Aug 2026, 13:19current

    Restructured to lead with the people affected and the casualty figures rather than the named suspect, and to place the victim's name higher in the story.

  4. Version 27 Aug 2026, 13:19current

    Added named wounded victim released by her mother, the federal lawsuit, the SLED report account of the officer returning fire, the suspect's death by officer gunfire, and the conflict over location granularity and setting.

  5. Version 16 Aug 2026, 16:27

    First published.

  6. Version 16 Aug 2026, 08:07

    First published.

  7. Version 16 Aug 2026, 08:11

    First published.

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