CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) – Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said 10 people were wounded in a mass shooting in downtown Charleston late Monday night.
WCSC reported Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said an officer responded to noise complaint about a loud party at a vacant lot.
“Immediately the officer took gunfire,” Reynolds said. “Two shots went into his cruiser, and let me tell you something: as we stand here right now, we’re lucky we don’t have a dead cop or dead citizens or dead community members.”
Charleston Police Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen said “multiple people” were struck by gunfire in the area of America and South Streets around 11:40 p.m. Monday. They were being treated at area hospitals, she said.
Reynolds said four people remained in the hospital for treatment of their injuries as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office says two women have been arrested so far.
Tahira McGee of North Charleston is charged with second-degree assault and battery and resisting arrest; and Ayesha Saleemah McGee of North Charleston is charged with third-degree assault and battery, Charleston County Sheriff’s spokesman Andrew Knapp said.
An incident report states deputies responded at approximately 11:43 p.m. to assist the Charleston Police Department after receiving word a Charleston Police officer had been wounded.
Several fights broke out and two deputies were assaulted during the incident, the report states. One deputy was struck in the face and treated for facial injuries, while another was knocked to the ground by a member of the crowd and suffered cuts to the head and arm, Knapp said.
The report states Ayesha McGee cursed and verbally berated deputies who were attempting to secure the scene, then attempted to “body slam” the deputy to the ground. Deputies say she was restrained by other officers almost immediately, but the deputy suffered cuts to his head, hand and elbow.
Another report states Tahira McGee struck a deputy across the face and was then wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs. The report states McGee struck her head on the ground during the takedown and had swelling above her right eye and small lacerations. She was medically cleared by staff at an area hospital. The report states the deputy suffered a scratched cornea and facial cuts from the strike.
A responding Charleston Police officer suffered minor injuries but was in the process of being treated and released from the hospital, Wolfsen said.
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