LANCASTER, South Carolina:
Two men were fatally shot early Saturday at a South Carolina sports bar and eight other people were wounded in the gunfire, authorities said. A suspect was being sought.
The shooting occurred in Lancaster, a community about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Charlotte, North Carolina. Coroner Karla Deese told news outlets that the dead have been identified as Henry Lee Colvin, 39, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Aaron Harris, 38, of Kershaw, South Carolina.
Authorities said four other people with injuries were airlifted to medical facilities for treatment after the shooting and that four others received treatment locally for non-critical injuries. An eleventh person had minor injuries while falling in an attempt to flee the scene, officials said.
The shooting broke out at the Old Skool Sports Bar & Grill in Lancaster.
“I believe it was one person targeting another,” Sheriff Barry Faile said at a news conference Saturday. “Unfortunately, we had 10 victims that got shot.”
“This was a violent incident of huge magnitude that was witnessed by lots of people,” he added. “The shooter or shooters are out there.”
Investigators have identified a person of interest “but no one is in custody at this time,” Faile told reporters. “We’re doing all we can to locate this person.”
Authorities had not named the person of interest by Saturday afternoon.
The sheriff said authorities believe the apparent shooter had been having a disagreement for some months with one of the men who was fatally shot. Faile did not say which one. He also declined to disclose the type of firearm authorities believe was used in the shooting.
The sheriff said investigators do not yet know whether more than one person fired a weapon, but noted many people were inside the sports bar at the time.
“We need to talk with everybody who was at the club when the shooting happened, and I encourage those witnesses to contact us immediately so those responsible for these deaths and injuries can be taken into custody,” Faile said.
