Community activists want A-1 Food Store shut down after deadly shootings

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Police say one person was killed and three left injured following a Thursday night shooting outside of a convenience store along Dorchester Road.

But it’s not the first time a deadly shooting happened at this location. News 2 spoke with the owner of A-1 Food Store after Thursday night’s shooting, but while he did not want to talk on camera, he said they’ve had six or seven shootings at the location in the past.

Community leaders now want something to be done to stop crime from happening in the area. In fact, the leader of a local civil rights group wants A-1 Food Store to be shut down altogether.

“This store has become a nuisance in our community. I’m working with our legal team to bring together the nuisance law to close the store,” said Elder James Johnson, CEO of the Racial Justice Network. “For the last 20 years, they’ve had the activities of people coming in this store, being shot or killed in the store.”

Johnson said violence at the store has directly impacted his organization’s former chapter president in the past.

“Her son came to the store to buy some soft drinks. He walked out of the store. He was mistaken for somebody else- someone shot and killed him at the front door of the store,” he said.

Johnson said they met with their lawyers at 1:00 p.m. to see if there was a way to shut the business down.

“The nuisance law is when so many people or activities have happened at this particular store, that we are asking that the beer and wine license and their license be revoked because of the number of crimes,” said Johnson.

News 2 obtained a report from the North Charleston Police Department which shows the number of calls for service at that specific location between March 8, 2021, and June 8, 2023.

While there were hundreds of calls for service, only approximately 19 appeared to be significant in nature including carjackings, assaults, burglaries, and thefts. There were eight calls listed as either weapons, firearms, or shooting incidents.

No arrests have been made in Thursday night’s shooting as of Friday afternoon. Anyone with information is asked to contact the North Charleston Police Department.