Isle of Palms PD releases radio traffic from beach shooting

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCBD) – The Isle of Palms Police Department (IOPPD) on Tuesday released two hours worth of radio traffic from the April 7 beach shooting that injured five people.

Officials said that hundreds of people were gathered on the beach Friday for senior skip day. Several altercations took place and shots rang out.

Most of the victims were teens, some as young as 15. All five suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Two teens have been arrested on firearms violations, but it is unclear whether one of those suspects was the shooter.

The recordings include transmissions made immediately prior to and following the shooting as well as chatter on the incident channel up until the scene was cleared. Listener discretion is advised.

The first call was to 1400 Palm Boulevard for a report of a “possible disturbance.” The caller said there were people smoking weed in their cars and a possible fender bender in the parking lot. Another call came in about people being angry that police shut down the county park for safety reasons.

As officers worked to clear the hundreds of people from the beach, they called for backup and said they would need a “show of force.” They put out a call to other agencies because the situation was “starting to get out of hand.”

Police can be heard asking for help shutting down the area and coordinating with assisting agencies like the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Summerville PD, Sullivan’s Island PD, and more.

A short time later, several officers can be heard frantically advising of shots fired. “We need everybody you got,” one says.

Officers then begin calling in about the victims. One calls in a female who was shot in the stomach under the pier. Another calls in about a male shot in the hip in the parking lot. A third officer calls in about two victims at the county park.

After police cleared the crowd from the beach, a crowd started forming at the nearby Circle K, at which point officers and FBI agents on scene requested backup.

An officer can be heard advising units on the IOP connector that there was an ambulance outbound and to “be careful.” An EMS unit was involved in a collision on the connector that night, but it is unclear whether it was the ambulance the officer was referring to.

Officers also discussed the possibility of reversing traffic on the connector to clear the island more quickly.

Several calls came in about dangerous driving conditions on the connector.

Other callers reported people possibly trying to break in to nearby homes and cars.

IOPPD has established a tip line for any information related to the shooting: 843-529-3750.

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated.