Lawyer for South Carolina party boat shooting victim says no one checked IDs or for weapons

No one was checking IDs or for weapons before a party boat cruise that ended with a shooting that hurt 11 people in South Carolina over Memorial Day weekend, a lawyer for one of the victims said.

Police have announced a second arrest in the May 25 shooting at a dock in Little River, taking a 16-year-old from North Carolina into custody. He and a 19-year-old man from Illinois have been charged with attempted murder, Horry County Police said.

Officials said 120 people partied on the boat and were leaving on the dock when the shooting happened. Ten people were wounded by gunfire, mostly on the lower parts of their bodies, and one person was hurt by a falling speaker, authorities said.

Investigators have not said how many people they think were firing shots or released details about the weapons used. They said more arrests are possible.

No one appeared to be checking IDs as people got on the boat and there didn’t appear to be any security looking for weapons, said attorney Tyler Bailey, who is representing a shooting victim.

In this photo provided by the Horry County Police Department, police officers respond to the scene of a shooting on Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Little River, S.C. (Horry County Police Department via AP)

“There was somebody who did pat people down. We’re not sure at this time if he was registered with a security company or if he was just a guy with a shirt on,” Bailey said at a Wednesday news conference on the boat dock.

Bailey said he is doing his own investigation because he wants full justice and accountability.

“We know that there were alcoholic beverages being sold, nobody was checking IDs and you had minors on the boat with firearms,” Bailey said.

Bailey’s client is Jeremy Evans, who was wounded in the ankle and has undergone surgery. He used crutches Wednesday and said he remains in almost unbearable pain. He said six of the 10 people shot were his friends.

“In one single moment my entire world was flipped upside down,” Evans said. “This incident traumatized not only me but the lives of others.”

Little River is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Myrtle Beach. The fishing village is known for its docks and marinas where fishing expeditions, casino boats and several dolphin cruises leave daily.