Shots Fired Among Tourists At Myrtle Beach Sky Wheel
Plyler Park, adjacent to the Myrtle Beach Sky Wheel was ground zero for some of Myrtle Beach’s latest rounds of criminal shootings in the downtown area. Over 8 shootings have occurred since the April 15th weekend.
As the Myrtle Beach Sun News reported: Officers responded to 1000 N. Ocean Blvd. to a call of shots fired in the area of Plyler Park around 9:39 p.m. this past Saturday.
“Upon arrival, I noticed a large group of people leaving the park and running north on the beach,” Officer J. Vetter noted in a report of the shooting.
The oceanfront park is a high profile downtown tourist attraction featuring the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, Myrtle Beach Thrill Rides, Nightmare Haunted House, and the oceanfront boardwalk lined with eateries and souvenir stands. This makes among 8 total shootings in the downtown areas of Myrtle Beach in just over the past week.
After the local Sun News article was posted online, however, residents of the Pine Lakes and other communities pointed out that the cities of North Myrtle Beach, Garden City Beach, Surfside Beach, and Pawleys Island were not having these same issues. Some common responses can be seen as below:
Articles throughout media over the past week only reinforced these assumptions:
Shoplifters take over $2,500 in merchandise from Coastal Grand Mall
GUEST HITS FRONT DESK WORKER IN HEAD WITH POTTED PLANT AT SUMMER WIND HOTEL DURING CHECK IN
FAMILY/MAN ARRESTED FOR PROSTITUTING CHILDREN IN DOWNTOWN MYRTLE BEACH
All of these media stories were posted during this same one week period. These are just the types of clients that are now consistently engaging the Myrtle Beach brand.
City Council Remains Silent
While the Mayor’s remarks garnered feedback from some local residents, elected city councilmen including Mike Lowder, Wayne Gray, and Randal Wallace (pictured above) have remained quiet on the issue.
Practically every area of Myrtle Beach experienced some level of crime during this period including the Market Common which reported a man who was mugged while walking on a hiking trail in that neighborhood.
