Some question calls for North Charleston store’s closure over nearby gun violence

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Members of the Racial Justice Network are calling for a North Charleston convenience store to close after a recent deadly shooting that happened nearby.

Despite their call for the A-1 Food Store on Dorchester Road to close its doors, several members of the community said the problem is not with the business.

“This store has been a nuisance in this community for over 20 years,” said Elder James Johnson, CEO of the Racial Justice Network. “Now, we are going to file legal papers to reject the license, business license, liquor license, or whatever license they have.”

The North Charleston Police Department provided News 2 with a list of calls they responded to at the A-1 Food Store since January 1, 2021, including 430 calls for various issues during that nearly two and a half years.

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.

The most recent shooting happened during the evening of June 8. Three people were injured, and one person was killed.

Attorney and State Representative Marvin Pendarvis, who attended a press conference outside the store Friday, said they will first ask the city to shut the business down based on their nuisance ordinance.

If that does not work, they plan to file suit.

“When an establishment becomes such that it becomes a nuisance and from that, there’s violence and people crime and people’s lives are in jeopardy. We have a responsibility to do something,” he said.

But while the press conference was underway, several people who live in the neighborhood began voicing their opinion and asking questions.

“This has nothing to do with what’s going on in this community right now. I live here. What does the store have to do with anything,” the neighbor questioned. “They don’t sell drugs. It’s the parents. Why are we not going after the parents? Why are we not going after programs for the parents? People got mental issues out here. Why nobody talking about that?”

“And I guess if you shut these guys down, you shutting me down also,” added Rickey Fyall, who owns RaiShaun Fyall’s Soul and Seafood next door. His restaurant is connected to A-1 Food Store.

“Well, if they shut them down, they shut me down also. That’s just plain and simple. I rent from them. So, you shut them down, you shut me down. I mean nobody’s talked to nobody in the community. Nobody’s talked to me. Nobody asked me anything. But we got all the protest and unity marches,” he said.

News 2’s Raymond Owens spoke with the owner of A-1 Food Store by phone on Friday. He told us that he’s met with Mayor Keith Summey who made several suggestions to him.

The owner said the business now has new signs they are putting out at the business and will be clearing the windows of signs so the inside of the store can better be seen from the outside.

They will also be installing more cameras on the property.

The owner also said there have been shootings at other businesses in North Charleston and questioned why there is no push for those places to close their doors.