One dead and 11 injured following 'violent' and 'devastating' mass shooting at tourist hotspot as suspect killed by police

The mass shooting took place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department posted on Facebook that officers responded to an incident that took place at around 11:50pm on Saturday.

The police statement said officers "observed a disturbance involving multiple individuals" on North Ocean Boulevard.

One individual fired a weapon during an "altercation". An officer then responded by discharging their firearm.

The officer was not injured but the suspect died due to their injuries.

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Horry County deputy coroner Tamara Willard identified the person shot by police as Jerrius Davis, 18, from Bennettsville, News 13 reported.

Video obtained by News 13 shows people running from the scene as police approach the incident.

The statement on Facebook reads: "In accordance with established protocol, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will conduct an independent investigation. Simultaneously, the Myrtle Beach Police Department will carry out an internal review of the incident.

"We appreciate the public’s patience as both investigations proceed, and all leads are thoroughly examined."

Mayor Brenda Bethune told News13: “Our officer saw what happened, and when he saw that an altercation was taking place and a gun was being shot, the officer responded very quickly and in my opinion, saved lives.

“Last night could have been so much worse.”

The mayor said social media may result in "a lot of comments being said that are not true, and [people] trying to make more out of this, and we want to get the facts out so that people know what has happened".

The incident took place in Myrtle Beach's entertainment district at the beginning of the tourist season.

Councilman Gregg Smith said it was "very unfortunate" that people feel "they need to solve their problems with guns", yet he reassured visitors that "it's an isolated incident and not indicative of the reality that most Myrtle Beach visitors encounter".

The mayor told the local news station: “This was an isolated incident. We had a huge crowd on the boulevard late last night, and we can’t always control what people are going to do, but we also can’t just shut ourselves in and do nothing.

“This is a great place to visit. It’s not an unsafe place at all. And I’m not making light of what happened in any way.”

Ms Bethune added that the SLED investigation would take around three weeks, adding that there won't be much to discuss "until we get the final report".

Republican South Carolina representative Nancy Mace said she was "devastated" by the news but insisted "we will not tolerate violence of any sort in our communities".