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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
Freeman faces 4 murder charges related to St. Helena mass shooting St. Helena man has been ‘person of interest’ since Oct. 12 shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill that killed 4, wounded 15 more
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner speaks about developments in the case of the Oct. 12 mass shooting at Willie's Bar and Grill during a press conference held Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in Beaufort. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
By Mike McCombs The Island News Anferny Devon “Ant” Freeman, 27, of St. Helena Island, was charged with four counts of murder on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, in connection with the mass shooting early Sunday morning, Oct. 12,
2025, at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island. The charges were announced by Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tan- Freeman ner at a Friday, Nov. 14 press conference at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in the old federal courthouse on Bay Street. “[Freeman] was served [warrants for] four counts of murder; aggravated breach of peace, one count; and one count of possession of a firearm during the com-
mission of a violent crime,” Tanner said. “Those charges were made yesterday afternoon.” A hearing was held earlier Friday, where bond was deferred to a circuit judge at a later, as of yet, undetermined date. Freeman is charged with the murder of 54-year-old Amos Gary of St. Helena Island, hired as a private security guard for the events that night at Willie’s Bar and Grill; Kashawn Glaze, a 22-yearold man from Beaufort; Chiraad Smalls, a 33-year-old man from
SEE SHOOTING PAGE A4
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
County Council contemplates 2026 budget
DragonBoat teams compete during the DragonBoat Beaufort Race Day on June 28, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
DragonBoat to relocate 2026 Race Day
B
BEAUFORT eaufort County Council spent two days last week talking about budget priorities although real negotiations don’t start until next spring. The retreat was designed by Administrator Michael Moore to give direction to department leaders and the financial team now lead by Pinky Harriott, who became the county’s Chief Financial Officer one year ago. Much of the conversation was updates on projects that have been in the planning stages for years, such as the centralized law enforcement center between Camp St. Mary’s and Oldfield Plantation in Oaktie, south of the Broad River. Plans call for a new fire station and an EMS station, but apparently, according to conversational remarks, law enforcement officials are no longer interested in having a centralized headquarters located there but now prefer the current operation with scattered offices in Beaufort, Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island. County officials are now thinking the site might be good for the expanded evidence space and crime lab while the detention center, which is scheduled for major expansion sometime in the future, would stay at its Beaufort location. The county has been acquiring property for the complex which
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A5
With Beaufort’s promenade closed, event will be held in Port Royal
By Amber Hewitt The Island News After 13 years at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, DragonBoat Beaufort’s annual Race Day is moving to Port Royal. The decision was made official
at the DragonBoat Beaufort annual meeting held on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Dragonboat Beaufort Race Day features teams racing in dragon boats, with all proceeds directly going towards supporting Drag-
onBoat Beaufort and its mission to assist cancer patients within the community. DragonBoat Beaufort offers guidance, encouragement, and resources to cancer survivors
SEE BOAT PAGE A6
4 Beaufort County men indicted on federal sex trafficking charges
By Delayna Earley The Island News Four Beaufort-area men were indicted by a federal grand jury with sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking conBarnes spiracy, coercion and enticement and child sexual abuse material offenses. The federal grand jury in
Charleston returned a nine-count indictment charging Jaquan Duvall Barnes, William James Youmans, Guy Frank Talley and Alban Bryan during a case that occurred during the 43-day Youmans government shutdown, according to a press release from Friday, Nov. 14, put out by the United States Attorney’s Office,
District of South Carolina. Barnes, 30, of Port Royal, was charged with human trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual Talley abuse material and coercion and enticement of a minor. Youmans, 35, of Beaufort, was
charged with human trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material and coercion and enticement of a minor. Talley, 28, Bryan of Beaufort, was charged with coercion and
SEE CHARGES PAGE A3
ARTS
STATE NEWS
SPORTS
INSIDE
Silent Book Club Beaufort Meet-up at Conroy Center.
SC Supreme Court justice defends opinions on state abortion law.
USCB men picked to finish 2nd in Peach Belt.
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