By Tony Kukulich
Several shots were fired near a downtown restaurant in Beaufort on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 10.
There were no injuries resulting from the gunfire.
A social media post from the Beaufort Police Department stated that the incident was reported at approximately 1:45 p.m. in the vicinity of Port Republic and Carteret streets.
One witness told The Island News that a vehicle backed into a parking lot off of Port Republic Street and waited there for several minutes. As the car pulled away, three shots were fired in the vicinity of Wren restaurant.
A manager and employees at the restaurant declined to comment about the incident and, Beaufort police could not confirm the number of shots fired.
Wendy Houston, who works across the street from Wren, did not see the car but said she heard the shots from her office.
“From my office I see down on Wren’s parking lot, and I heard the three loud shots,” Houston said. “When I looked out, I saw three of the young men who work over there running and waving, or something. They were upset. They turned around and ran back in (the restaurant).”
Beaufort police said the incident was likely related to an altercation between several male and female subjects that had fled the area prior to the arrival of officers on scene.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Beaufort Police Department. Anyone with additional information pertaining to this incident can contact the Non-Emergency Dispatch line at 843-524-2777 or the Beaufort Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 843-322-7938.
Tony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com.
