ISLE OF PALMS — Five people, mostly teens, were wounded in the April 7 shooting on one the barrier island’s most popular beaches, police said in an April 11 update.

The announcement corrects earlier reports that six people were injured when gunfire erupted in a large crowd that gathered below a pier on Front Beach just after 5:30 p.m. April 7.

An ambulance, taking one of the shooting victims from the scene to the hospital, crashed on the Isle of Palms connector. That victim was counted double in the initial response, according to Sgt. Matt Storen, spokesman for the Isle of Palms police.

“Once detectives completed all interviews and conducted follow-ups, Isle of Palms Police confirmed that there were only five victims from the shooting,” Storen said in an email.

The department also released on April 11 two hour-long recordings of their radio traffic leading up to, during and after the shooting. It offers a glimpse of the chaotic scene, even before gunfire erupted.

Less than 2 minutes before the barrage, Isle of Palms dispatched Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and Mount Pleasant police asking before help with the unruly crowd that had swelled to about 1,000 people, mostly teens.

“We just need them for visibility and crowd control,” said one officer. “It’s starting to get out of hand.”

Eight minutes into one of the audio files, one officer yells: “shots fired!”

One woman, 28, remains hospitalized, but is stable, after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, Storen said. The remaining injured were all boys, ages 15 to 17, and were released the next day. All are expected to recover.

Isle of Palms Police Chief Kevin Cornett joined Governor Henry McMaster and S.C. Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel at a Statehouse press conference calling for changes to the state’s gun laws and bail bond system on April 11, four days after gun violence shook the beachfront community unaccustomed to it.

“When we live in an environment where paradise can be struck by this crime, where people are shot just spending their time on the beach, trying to relax, it opens the eyes of everybody that this is not a problem that is specific to one area,” Cornett said. “It’s everywhere.”

The shooting was a grim reminder “that violence and gun violence can happen anywhere, even on the beach,” said Folly Beach Chief Andrew Gilreath as he preps for another gathering planned on the popular beach for April 13.

A flyer circulating on social media advertising the unpermitted event encourages people to “bring your own beverages.” But more concerning to officials is the invitation, which was displayed during the governor’s press conference, to BYOG, which Keel said stood for bring your own gun. Gilreath said the “g” may be a reference to drugs, such as green or ganja.

Gilreath said he’s coordinating with other departments to ensure they have the resources and staffing on hand, if the worst should happen.

Police will have a larger-than-normal presence on Folly, he said, and plan to break up large groups without a permit.

“We had a tragedy in the Isle of Palms, and we’ve had others over the years, and there are many tragedies occurring all around the country today. It’s clearly now the time to act in South Carolina,” McMaster said before asking the Legislature to pass a bill that would make it illegal under state law for felons to possess firearms. McMaster also championed another bill that would make it more difficult for those charged with serious crimes while out on bond to get another bond.

The proposed changes attempt to deter gun violence through punishment, rather than prevention.

Police arrested two people in Isle of Palms following the shooting, though it’s still unclear if they were involved. A 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were charged with weapons offenses already on the books.

Keel put the Isle of Palms shooting in the context of rising murders and weapons violations in the state. Murders are up 52 percent in the last decade, while weapons violations are up 80 percent over the same period, Keel said.

Of the 566 murders in 2021, the highest number since 1991, 322 were committed by someone under 25, and 59 people were slain by minors, Keel said.

“The shooting that occurred on Isle of Palms Friday afternoon and others like it should never be acceptable,” Keel said. “Unfortunately, we’ve become all too familiar with the impact of young people and repeat offenders with guns.”

Investigators continue to investigate and are trying to identify the shooter or shooters.

Isle of Palms police ask anyone with information to contact the department at (843) 886-6522. Anonymous tips can sent to Lowcountry Crime Stoppers at (843) 554-1111.

Alexander Thompson contributed from Columbia.

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