Loris man killed, four others hit in drive-by shooting

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     A Loris area man was killed, four other men injured in a drive-by shooting outside of a Harrelson Avenue apartment complex Saturday night, Loris Police Department Chief Gary Buley said Sunday.

     Myron Spain, 32, died of injuries sustained in the shooting, Horry County Deputy Coroner Patty Bellamy said.

     Spain was one of five men gathered outside Country Cool Apartments about 7 p.m. Saturday when gunshots came from a passing vehicle, Buley said.

     Spain died on the scene of the shooting as the vehicle apparently sped away, Buley said.

     Four men, all adults, were taken by ambulance to McLeod Loris hospital. All four were transferred to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, one by helicopter, three by ground ambulance.

     All were expected to survive, Buley said, with most, if not all, released from the hospital late Saturday or on Sunday.

     Spain, Buley said, apparently lives in the Loris area but not in the city.

Rapid response

     Seven Loris Police Department officers, including Buley, were on the scene in minutes.

     “We were all in town for a Christmas party,” Buley said.

     Horry County Police Department officers also responded, and Buley asked for assistance from SLED (State Law Enforcement Division), the agency sending two agents and one in training, all from Horry County, and two Crime Scene units to assist.

     Dispatched from Columbia, the Crime Scene teams arrived about 10 p.m., and did not clear the scene until about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Buley called the meticulous work of the Crime Scene teams “impressive.”

     A motive for the shooting has not been firmly established, but it may be gang related, Buley said.

     Look for more on this story here as events warrant, and in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.