Gunfire erupted, wounding six people, on a South Carolina beach packed with partying high schoolers participating in senior skip day, police said.
Hundreds of people were enjoying the sunshine at a beach in the coastal city of Isle of Palms — about 94 miles south of Myrtle Beach — when the shooting started around 5:20 p.m. on Friday, Police Chief Kevin Cornett told reporters during a Saturday news conference.
“There were a couple of altercations that took place and during one of those altercations, there were several shots that were fired,” Cornett told reporters.
Officers were already on the scene, responding to two different altercations taking place, when the beach descended into violent chaos.
A total of six people were struck in the gunfire, several of whom were rushed to the hospital by ambulance while others transported themselves. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
Of those wounded, five are teenagers, all of them around 18 years old, while the sixth victim is a woman in her mid-30s, according to Cornett. Some of the victims were already home from the hospital as of Saturday afternoon, he added.
Officials also announced Saturday that two people were arrested, including a 16-year-old who is facing charges of possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful carry of a firearm. An 18-year-old in a nearby municipal parking lot was also arrested for possession of a firearm.
Cornett noted while its unclear whether authorities have the actual shooter in custody, pistols were recovered from both suspects.
An investigation into the beach day violence is ongoing.