Crime
U.S. Navy Sailor Shawon Shamarion Williams Arrested in Connection with Little River Mass Shooting
LITTLE RIVER, SC / LAKE COUNTY, IL — A U.S. Navy sailor has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that occurred over Memorial Day weekend in Little River, South Carolina.
Authorities say 19-year-old Shawon Shamarion Williams was taken into custody in Lake County, Illinois, on Thursday, and is expected to face multiple charges stemming from the incident, which left at least 10 people injured.
According to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Williams, a Hull Maintenance Technician Seaman, was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago and assigned to the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command.
He was arrested Thursday afternoon and booked into the Lake County Jail as a fugitive of justice.
The shooting took place on the evening of Saturday, May 25, around 9:15 p.m., as guests disembarked from a private charter boat near Watson Avenue in Little River — a community near the South Carolina-North Carolina border.
The event was part of the “Rock Tha Boat Jackie-O & Friends Annual Birthday Boat Party,” hosted by Jacklyn Patrice Bellamy.
Authorities believe an argument among attendees escalated into gunfire shortly after the vessel docked.
Cellphone footage captured the chaotic moments as gunshots rang out, sending people fleeing in panic.
Witness Jeremy Evans, one of the ten victims, recounted the terrifying experience. “We got shot coming off the boat. I was on the pier when I got hit in the leg,” Evans said. “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.”
South Carolina authorities have confirmed that Williams will face several counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Officials also stated that additional arrests could follow as the investigation progresses.
Cmdr. Jessica L. McNulty, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, confirmed Williams’ military assignment and noted that custody has been transferred to local law enforcement in preparation for extradition proceedings.
Williams is expected to appear in court Friday morning in Illinois, where the formal extradition process to South Carolina will begin.
The Horry County Police Department, which is leading the investigation, emphasized that the shooting appears to have stemmed from a personal dispute during the private event.
The department is urging anyone with additional video footage or information about the incident to come forward as the investigation continues.
The shooting has sparked renewed concerns about gun violence and safety during large public gatherings, particularly during holiday weekends.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.