LITTLE RIVER, SC / LAKE COUNTY, IL — A 19-year-old U.S. Navy sailor has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that injured at least ten people during a Memorial Day weekend boat party in Little River, South Carolina. Shawon Shamarion Williams was taken into custody Thursday in Lake County, Illinois, and is facing multiple charges related to the violent incident.
Williams, a Hull Maintenance Technician Seaman, was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago at the time of his arrest. According to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), he was assigned to the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command. He was booked into the Lake County Jail as a fugitive of justice and is expected to be extradited to South Carolina to face charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder.
The shooting occurred around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, as attendees were disembarking from a private charter boat near Watson Avenue in Little River, a coastal town near the South Carolina-North Carolina border. The party, titled “Rock Tha Boat Jackie-O & Friends Annual Birthday Boat Party,” was hosted by Jacklyn Patrice Bellamy. Authorities believe a personal dispute between attendees quickly escalated into gunfire as guests left the vessel.
Cellphone footage from the scene captured the chaotic moments, with people scrambling for cover amid the sound of gunshots. One victim, Jeremy Evans, shared his harrowing experience, stating he was shot in the leg while on the pier. “I had to take off my shorts and wrap them around the wound. It was a mass shooting. Ten of us got sprayed on that deck,” he said.
Cmdr. Jessica L. McNulty, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, confirmed that custody of Williams has been transferred to local law enforcement for extradition proceedings. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday in Illinois, where the legal process to return him to South Carolina will begin.
The Horry County Police Department, leading the investigation, said the shooting stemmed from a personal argument and emphasized that additional arrests are possible. Authorities are asking anyone with video footage or information to come forward as the probe continues. The incident has raised concerns about gun violence at large social events, particularly during holiday weekends.