12-year-old bystander shot 3 times at Walterboro venue

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A 12-year-old boy was taken to the hospital following a shooting incident in downtown Walterboro Saturday night.

Crews responded to the 200 block of East Washington St. around 9:00 p.m. after shots were fired inside a venue, according to Colleton County Fire and Rescue Chief Barry McRoy.

At the scene, officials found a 12-year-old boy who had been shot three times and another man who had also been shot, McRoy said. Meanwhile, another man at the venue was stabbed and a woman was hit by bullet fragments.

The boy was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina by a helicopter, and the other three were taken to nearby hospitals.

Following the shots fired, a big group of people ran out of the venue and away from the scene. There is no official word yet on a suspect or what led up to the incident. However, McRoy did confirm that the boy was a bystander.

McRoy says the boy is currently in surgery. The man who had been shot and the woman hit by bullet fragments suffered non-life threatening injuries, and the stab wound victim is listed as critical.

The Walterboro Police Department is the investigating agency. They have not responded to requests for information on this case.