5 of 6 Isle of Palms shooting victims released from hospital, city says

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - The city of Isle of Palms says five of the six people who were shot on the beach Friday afternoon are recovering at home after being released from the hospital.

City spokesperson Chaundra Mikell-Yudchenko also confirmed that the only victim still in the hospital remains in “stable condition.”

The Isle of Palms Police Department says two people have been arrested following the shooting. Shawn Alexander Goods-Martin, 18, was arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. Goods-Martin was booked in the Al Cannon Detention Center and later posted bond for $25,000.

A juvenile, whose name was not released, was also arrested and charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of a stolen firearm.

Police have not confirmed whether the two arrested were involved in the shooting. Sgt. Matt Storen confirmed others were detained on Friday but have since been released after talking with investigators.

The Isle of Palms City Council held a news conference and an emergency meeting Saturday morning to address Friday’s shooting.

At the conference, Isle of Palms Police Chief Kevin Cornett praised the efforts of first responders.

“Those officers [sprinted] towards the fire, the gunfire to try and stop it when they realized that those individuals were getting off the beach,” Cornett says. “They turned and started rendering aid. They were on top of people helping to put pressure on wounds and things like that. They were able to get three into the back of one of our Polaris vehicles and off the beach.”

Storen confirmed the shooting happened behind Sea Cabins near 1140 Oceans Blvd. around 5:20 p.m. Some of the victims had multiple gunshot wounds, he says.

While details of what led to the shooting have been limited, Cornett says there was a gathering involving high school seniors from around the Lowcountry for “senior skip day.” At one point, two fights broke out, and that is when police say shots rang out.

Most of the victims of the shooting are in their teens. At least one of the victims is an adult who was at the beach at the time of the shooting.

It is not yet clear what school district(s) the students were from or what caused the fights to break out.

The following agencies assisted the Isle of Palms Police Department in the response:

The Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police, Mount Pleasant Police, Sullivan’s Island Police, North Charleston Police, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, SLED, the FBI, ATF, the Isle of Palms Fire Department, the Mount Pleasant Fire Department, Charleston County EMS, Port City, Charleston County Emergency Management Division, the Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch.

Police say there was no threat to the public after the incident.

“The city will continue to meet to discuss strategies to mitigate risks on the beach moving forward,” Mikell-Yudchenko says.

Police are actively investigating the shooting and reviewing videos the public has sent in of the incident, according to Storen.

The Isle of Palms Police Department has established a tip line for anyone with information on Friday’s shooting. If you have any info, you are asked to call 843-529-3750.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.