by JENN WOOD
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More than a month after the first gunshots rang out, the first charges have been filed in connection with a mass shooting that shocked the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Beaufort County sheriff P.J. Tanner announced on Friday (November 14, 2025) that 27-year-old Anferny Devon Freeman had been charged in connection with the deadly incident outside of Willie’s Bar & Grill on St. Helena Island — an eruption of violence that killed four people and wounded fifteen others in the early-morning hours of October 12, 2025.
Freeman — who has a litany of prior arrests in Beaufort County (including previous weapons and drug charges) — was already being held at the detention center on unrelated matters when investigators served him with four murder warrants, as well as charges for aggravated breach of peace and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Because these charges carry the potential for life imprisonment, his bond will be set at a later date by a circuit judge.
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At Friday’s press conference, Tanner outlined what investigators now believe happened in the tense moments before gunfire tore through the crowded parking lot. According to the emerging law enforcement narrative, a long-simmering feud between Freeman and one of the deceased, 22-year-old Kashawn Glaze, escalated into a deadly confrontation as more than 350 people gathered for an unsanctioned social event.
Evidence suggests three shooters fired weapons during the incident — Freeman, Glaze, and a third individual who has yet to be publicly identified. Glaze died at the scene.
Forensic testing of firearms, casings, and DNA is still underway with assistance from the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the FBI and Beaufort County’s crime lab, but Tanner said investigators “feel comfortable” with the charges filed and anticipate additional counts tied to the surviving victims.
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A WIDENING INVESTIGATION
Tanner revised several early investigative numbers, saying roughly 350 people were present at the gathering — not the 500–700 initially estimated — and that fifteen people suffered gunshot wounds, all of whom have since been released from the hospital.
The sheriff also revealed investigators have executed at least a dozen search warrants in connection with their investigation, including a raid at 2405 Wren Haven Court, where deputies seized two firearms — one equipped with an illegal “switch” device enabling automatic fire — and arrested two individuals on drug and machine-gun charges in a related spin-off case.
Those suspects have since been granted bond.
Freeman’s own movements after the shooting, Tanner said, were equally telling: a friend drove him from the scene, after which he was picked up by his girlfriend and taken to Coastal Carolina Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was later transferred to a Savannah hospital before being returned to Beaufort County, where deputies ultimately served him with the homicide warrants.
Still, Tanner reiterated one of the investigation’s greatest challenges remains a lack of witness cooperation.
“We had hundreds of people at this party,” he said. “And we still don’t have a witness willing to tell us who the shooters are.”
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RELATED | FOUR VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN ST. HELENA MASS SHOOTING
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SWITCH GUNS, DNA, AND DOZENS OF SEARCH WARRANTS
The press conference took an unexpected turn when bar owner Willie Turral — whose establishment served as the backdrop for the violence — challenged Tanner over the sheriff’s characterization of his business and the county’s effort to strip it of its ability to serve beer, wine, and liquor.
Turral pressed Tanner about an upcoming administrative hearing scheduled for Monday, questioning the sheriff’s comments and raising concerns about how the county was portraying his establishment. Tanner — appearing visibly irritated — cut the exchange short.
“You’re asking questions about your restaurant and about a hearing that’s going to take place on Monday,” Tanner said. “I appreciate the questions, but this is not the time or place.”
When Turral persisted, Tanner responded pointedly, citing a decade of law-enforcement activity at the address.
“Let me help you a little bit,” Tanner said. “The location itself — when we pull calls for service for that location — you had 400 in the past ten years. Everything from gunshots, drug distribution, domestic violence, fights. It becomes a nuisance location.”
Then the sheriff said the quiet part out loud.
“Look, bottom line is we’re going to put you out of business, if that’s what you’re looking for me to say,” he said. “That’s exactly what our efforts are. The address itself is never going to have a beer, wine, and liquor license — as far as I’m concerned.”
Tanner emphasized the county was acting under South Carolina’s nuisance-property statute, adding that this was not the first Beaufort County business targeted under the law. Turral attempted to push back, but Tanner cut him off again.
“Willie, I’m not going to argue this with you,” he said. “If you want to hang around after, be more than willing to do so.”
The sheriff then pointed to what he suggested was Turral’s own acknowledgement of risk: hiring four security guards for the event.
“The only reason you would have hired four people to provide security on this particular night is because you had foresight about problems that occur with that kind of crowd,” Tanner said. “Unfortunately, one of your security officers died that night.”
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RELATED | ‘CLOSE REVOLVING DOOR OF JUSTICE’
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PUBLIC SAFETY, BOND REFORM, AND THE NEXT PHASE OF THE INVESTIGATION
Tanner used the press conference to again highlight what he views as a dangerous interplay between violent offenders, illegal automatic weapons, and South Carolina’s permissive bond system. He noted that over the past 18 months, deputies have made more than two dozen arrests involving “switch”-equipped weapons, yet only six of those defendants remain in custody.
“That’s ridiculous,” Tanner said. “Possession of a machine gun should mean no bond — especially for someone with prior charges.”
The sheriff’s position echoes warnings from South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) chief Mark Keel, who have pushed for comprehensive bond reform, arguing that the state’s current system “enables violent criminals” to reoffend.
For now, Tanner said the next major public update will depend on forensic processing and witness cooperation. “This case is evidence-driven,” he stressed. “We’re following the science, and we’re going to follow it all the way.”
He again urged the public — especially anyone who recorded video before, during, or after the shooting — to come forward. “Even small details can matter,” Tanner said.
Tips can be provided to case officer Master Sergeant T. Duncan at 843-255-3418, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, or 844-TIPS-BFT.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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