Two Dead and 8 Injured After Early Morning Shooting at South Carolina Club

Ten people were shot in an early morning shooting Sunday at a club in Greenville, S.C., leaving two dead and eight injured, according to law enforcement.

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis told WYFF News 4 that the incident took place at Club Lavish during “some type of concert” where there was a “very, very, very large crowd.” Lt. Jimmy Bolt with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office tells TIME there were reportedly “a couple hundred” people present.

Two deputies with the sheriff’s office had been near the club while responding to another call when they noticed a large commotion — “a lot of people running, ducking, that sort of thing,” Bolt says. They then reportedly called for emergency backup and ran inside the building, by which point authorities began receiving more calls about the incident. By the time the deputies who made entry “started rendering aid… all the shooters had left in various cars,” Lewis said in an interview with CNN later on Sunday morning, adding that video evidence reveals “there were at least two shooters.”

“There’s a lot of shell casings inside,” Lewis said to WYFF News 4. “Everything is turned over. There are a few chairs in there, food on the floor, some bottles busted. You can tell somebody left in a hurry. There are some pretty large amounts of blood.”

Those who were wounded have injuries ranging from non-life threatening to critical, Bolt told TIME. Some victims were transported to a nearby hospital by the county emergency medical services, while others were taken by private individuals, Bolt says.

Bolt says authorities are looking for two suspects but did not disclose any information about possible motives or identities.

Lewis also told CNN that authorities suspect band members playing the concert may have “had some involvement,” but don’t know “if they initiated” the shooting.

It remains unclear whether the club was allowed to be open during the current coronavirus restrictions. Governor Henry McMaster’s executive order imposes restrictions on both nightclubs and concerts.

Lewis said the incident was illegal unless relevant parties had filed a successful appeal to the governor’s office, which authorities are checking on. There was “very little space in there for any type of social distancing,” Lewis said.