Crime
Shooting incident with multiple victims reported in Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Emergency services are on the scene, and the area has been secured.
UPDATE: The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred near Surfside Beach on Thursday night.
Neil Wade Brown, 60, was taken into custody around 11 PM by Horry County police. Specific charges against him have not been released at this time.
The incident began around 9 PM near S. Reindeer Road, resulting in two people being shot. Both victims were transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds, one in the thigh and the other in the hip. Their current conditions are unknown.
The Horry County Police Department’s special operations unit, a SWAT team, negotiators, and a drone operator responded to the scene.
Further details regarding the incident will be provided as the investigation progresses.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Surfside Beach, SC – Surfside Beach Police responded to a report of a multiple-victim shooting on S. Reindeer Road and Auburn Lane.
According to police reports, two individuals were shot, and additional shots were fired.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation.
Emergency services are on the scene, and the area has been secured.
We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.