[UPDATED, 2:27 p.m., Dec. 22] Charleston police today announced the arrest of two teenagers on murder and other charges following a Thursday afternoon shooting that left one man dead and another injured at the Forest Park Playground in West Ashley.
According to the department, “a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old are both charged with murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Both are in custody at the Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center.”
On Thursday, police responded to a 1:15 p.m. report of a shooting at the West Ashley park. Upon arrival, they discovered an adult male victim near the parking lot who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another adult male was found with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was treated at the scene by EMS.
On Friday afternoon, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office identified the man who died of a gunshot wound as Erick Ortega-Alvarez, 20, of Goose Creek. He was the eighth person killed by gun violence in Charleston this calendar year, according to media outlets.
According to police, investigators determined the incident was isolated with no ongoing threat to the public. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, they can contact the on-duty Central Detective at (843) 720-2422. If a tipster wishes to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at (843) 554-1111 or visit 5541111.com.
In City Paper news today:
CP CARTOON:
CP FEATURE: Santa Claus shares funny, heartwarming holiday stories. Memories of sitting on Santa’s lap at the mall are common among adults — even if those memories are more about the tearful screaming. But those memories are just as treasured by Santa Claus himself, according to several folks who have portrayed him for families over the years.
CP NEWS: Mothers seek traffic safety changes on 2 deadly Charleston roads. Traffic deaths on roads on James Island and across Charleston link two mothers who are asking state officials to impose safety measures to prevent future accidents on the dangerous roads where their children died.
CP FOOD: Coast Brewing Co. continues to evolve after renovation. Coast Brewing Co., owned and operated by Jaime Tenny and David Merritt, helped pave the way for the growth of craft beer in South Carolina with its 2007 Pop the Cap campaign that changed the way people consumed beer.
In other news:
U.S. Supreme Court to hear S.C. Ports appeal in January. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide next month whether an appeal filed by the S.C. State Ports Authority will be heard. The agency filed for a writ of certiorari to hear arguments on who can operate cranes at Charleston’s new Hugh Leatherman Terminal – the longshoreman’s union or a blend of union and other workers.
S.C. is the fastest growing state in 2023, census shows. South Carolina has been a popular place to move to in 2023, ranking as the fastest-growing state for the year, new U.S. Census data shows. The Palmetto State’s population grew by 1.7% to a total of 5,373,555 as of July 1.
Charleston Co. gives OK on next step for better North Bridge. The project involves building a standalone bike and pedestrian bridge beside the existing North Bridge, which stretches from Poston Road in West Ashley to Azalea Drive in North Charleston.
Charleston Co. school district legal fees top $1.4M. In the last fiscal year covering July 2022 through June 2023, the district spent more than $1.4 million on legal services, which is up about a million dollars the year before and nearly twice the year before that.
Public must now register at Charleston school board meetings. After complaints, chaos and exploitation, the Charleston County School District’s Board of Trustees is reverting to the way people used to sign up for public comment before the pandemic.
Mount Pleasant council members receive antisemitic cards in mail. Antisemitic postcards were delivered to two Mount Pleasant town council member’s home addresses this week. The mail delivery follows the first reading of a potential hate crime ordinance for the town.
Bill would allow campaign contributions to be spent on child care. A new bill will make it so candidates can use campaign funds to help with child care during their run.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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