Category: CNN Regional

By Graham Cawthon

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    HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (WJCL) — Four people have been charged and eight people were injured after a July 4 weekend shooting at Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island, where investigators say a fight between two groups escalated into gunfire.

The shooting happened at about 8:21 p.m. Saturday near the volleyball courts and close to the Tiki Hut restaurant at the public beach access area, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said the free public beach was crowded with families celebrating the holiday when the violence broke out.

Investigators say the confrontation began with an argument, then a fistfight, before shots were fired. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with children running through sand dunes and emergency crews treating victims on the beach.

Eight people were injured, with wounds including gunshots to the stomach, neck and legs, officials said. Authorities have said the injuries appear to be nonfatal.

Beach patrol said the shooting happened near mile marker 59, steps from the Tiki Hut restaurant.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner said deputies used Flock camera technology to identify and track a suspect vehicle. Deputies stopped the car on the Cross Island Parkway bridge and detained six occupants.

During the stop, some people inside the vehicle threw evidence from the windows into the water, prompting a dive team search Sunday afternoon, Tanner said.

“We have the entire incident on video,” Tanner said. “And the quality of the video was remarkable.”

The sheriff’s office said four teenagers have been charged as adults:

Jayden Hawes, 18 — attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, aggravated breach of peace Marcello Royal, 17 — attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated breach of peace Quazeir Davis, 17 — attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated breach of peace Christopher Capers, 17 — accessory after the fact

Officials have said the investigation remains active and more charges are possible.

Residents and visitors at the beach on Sunday said the shooting was a sobering reminder to make safety plans, especially with children.

“We have a safety location that will be that if we were to get separated on the beach and just kind of talk to them and prepare them for that,” said Christina Dickinson of Hardeeville.

Others said the violence was unsettling, even if they still planned to enjoy the island.

“It could happen anytime, anywhere. But that’s too bad,” said Brittney Gill, a visitor from Arizona. She and another visitor, Nicole Braich, also said young people involved showed “no awareness for the consequences of their actions.”

Ryan Costello, visiting from Fort Wayne, Indiana, said he saw a heavy emergency response after the shooting, including police and firefighters, while traffic came to a standstill.

The shooting also drew an emotional response from Hilton Head Mayor Alan Perry, who said the incident hit close to home.

“I’ve been sick to my stomach since last night,” Perry said. “I can’t imagine my kids being down there. I know some other kids were down there that I know, and that’s what our future is.”

Town officials said they are working to schedule a special council meeting in response to the shooting and are seeking community feedback. A date has not been announced.

County leaders said they do not expect the incident to damage tourism or the island’s image, though some visitors said they were staying on alert.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Nate Stanley

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    CLEMSON, South Carolina (WYFF) — The Clemson University community is reacting to an announcement that its new president would be stepping away just weeks after he was given the role.

On Monday afternoon, told students and staff that the board of trustees was informed that Kevin Guskiewicz will remain in his position as president of Michigan State University.

Guskiewicz said he was leaving Clemson to return to Michigan State for personal reasons.

In a letter he released Monday, he says he didn’t feel right leaving Michigan State. The decision has left students in shock on campus, many who have started summer classes or freshman orientation with the start of fall around the corner.

“It is very unfortunate that we now have to go back to the drawing board. And fortunately, we have already done the presidential search,” said Clemson student Sawyer Werab, “surprised, very surprised.”

In that letter to the MSU community, Guskiewicz said in part, “As Amy and I reflected on the possibility of leaving, we kept returning to one simple truth: we love this university. This place has become home to our family. The people, the mission and the opportunity to make a lasting difference here mean more to us than we can adequately express.”

“I wish that he probably would have informed us more like about how he thought. Because if he deep down knew like, ‘Oh, I’m staying at Michigan,’ he should not have taken the role, and we should have given it to someone else,” said freshman student Annie.

The announcement comes with just 44 days until fall semester classes start, and as freshmen have already made it to campus.

“It was a little bit of a shock. We knew that there was a new president coming in. It was kind of exciting, like a fresh start for everybody. It wasn’t just us who was a freshman on campus, and it was a little shocking that we got an email today notifying us, and we just kind of don’t know the reason. We’re just left in, like, the dark,” said freshman student Trey Bishop. “I’ve been in South Carolina for, I don’t know, six days, had Cookout. I’m never leaving. I don’t know why anyone would go to Michigan.”

With so much still up in the air, Werab is confident Clemson will find the right president to steer the ship.

“It’s really unfortunate that we have to miss out on somebody like that. I mean, he was a really awesome candidate. But, like I said, Clemson University is a great institution. So I don’t have any doubt that we’ll be able to find another great candidate,” he said.

The university has said that the board of trustees will meet sometime in the near future to determine next steps.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Britt Leoni

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    NORTH PORT, Florida (WBBH) — Between their weekly games of Justice League, Jerry Alexatos and his son, Justin, have built hundreds of Lego sets.

“I’ve tried building them before, but he’s a master at it,” said Jerry.

Not only has this family mastered moments of joy, but they’ve mastered life’s inevitable moments of pain.

“I just felt like it was a lot,” said Jerry. “I just didn’t know how much more I was able to handle.”

Five years ago, Jerry’s mom was diagnosed with cancer. Just two months later, his dad was diagnosed, too.

“God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers,” said Jerry.

It was that belief that got Jerry through the grief of losing both parents.

That belief is now helping him through the toughest battle with cancer he’s faced yet. Jerry’s son, Justin, is in his seventh year of fighting Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

“As a parent, you wish you could take it all away,” said Jerry. “I’m sorry. It’s just the worst feeling of helplessness. Not being able to help.”

The physical, emotional, and financial toll on his family has been tough.

“A lot of people that are going through cancer don’t have that money,” said Jerry. “They lose days off of work, or they’re losing money from work.”

As Jerry’s family continues to fight, they hope to help other struggling families, too.

“I want to be able to help them to stay positive and, you know, become survivors,” said Jerry.

Because for Jerry, not only is his son his best friend, but his family is also something he’ll never give up on.

“To me, he’s my hero,” said Jerry. “He’s stronger than I am.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Christa Delcamp

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    HAMPTON, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A Hampton father battling a serious health crisis was able to see his greatest wish come true days before he passed away.

The emergency department at Portsmouth Regional Hospital wasn’t the wedding venue that Heather Lindberg and John Spagnola had envisioned, but her father, Dana, was worried he would miss her wedding.

“I gave him a big hug, and he said to me, ‘I may never get a chance to see you married,'” Heather Lindberg said.

“He even said, ‘I don’t think I’m going home,'” Spagnola said. “In all the times he’d been in the hospital, which was a lot of times in the last few years, he’d never said that.”

So, Heather got to work the next day finding a dress and an officiant, her brother, Nate Lindberg.

“Heather asked me on Sunday night how quickly do you think you’d be able to get a marriage officiant license?” Nate Lindberg said. “On Sunday night, I applied for it, paid the little fee, and I woke up to it in my email the next morning.”

In video of the ceremony, Dana Lindberg can be seen smiling, singing and making jokes.

“It just couldn’t have been more perfect,” Heather Lindberg said.

Two days after the wedding, Dana Lindberg died.

“We left the room that day, and nobody thought in two days he’d be gone,” Spagnola said.

His family said he left happy, knowing that his daughter was married.

Dana Lindberg was 77 years old. His family said services are being held Friday, and a celebration of his life will be held in October, when he would have turned 78.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Jackson Stoever

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    PETERBOROUGH, New Hampshire (WMUR) — One man was killed in an apparent shooting Sunday night in Peterborough, investigators said.

The Attorney General’s Office said police who were called to a disturbance at a Grove Street home found a man dead of apparent gunshot wounds. Another man inside the home appeared to have multiple stab wounds and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

“We were watching TV, and it was quiet,” said neighbor Caroline Gildea. “Then I heard ‘Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!'”

Gildea said she initially dismissed the loud bangs as fireworks, but she now believes they were gunshots.

“Then, all of a sudden, the roads are shut down, and there’s a police presence, and I’m like, wait a minute,” she said.

The crime scene remained active until the sun came up Monday morning, shaking up the small community of Peterborough.

“It definitely saddens me,” said neighbor Sat Jagat Khalsa.

Khalsa said he’s not used to seeing police lights and crime scene tape in town.

“It’s just a sad thing,” he said. “Any loss of life is a sad thing.”

Neighbors said they’re on edge as they wait for more information.

“You know, everybody’s like, ‘That won’t happen in my backyard,'” Gildea said. “Well, it literally happened in my backyard.”

Police have not released the names of the people involved. They said they believe the incident was an altercation between the two men, and there is no known threat to the public.

The condition of the man taken to the hospital has not been released.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Madilyn Destefano, Pattrik Perez

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    MARION COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — An 11-year-old boy is recovering at home in Pennsylvania after an alligator attack in Marion County that resulted in the amputation of his right hand, according to his family.

Brodie and his father were fishing two weekends ago at Nelson’s Fish Camp near Umatilla when the attack happened. The family was visiting from Pennsylvania.

Andrew Wright, one of Brodie’s relatives, said the two were aware of their surroundings.

“They did see alligators in the area. Nothing that was close to them at all, and nothing that was of concern to them,” Wright said.

But that quickly changed as Brodie was putting a fish back in the water that he had just reeled in.

“The gator came out of nowhere. They didn’t ever see it,” Wright said.

The alligator grabbed Brodie by the arm, and his dad jumped on it, hoping to pry its mouth open.

“When he did that, the gator did its roll, and it broke pretty much every bone in Brodie’s lower arm, severing part of his hand,” Wright said.

At the hospital, doctors had to amputate Brodie’s right hand, which Wright said is his dominant one when playing sports like baseball and football.

“Everything that he knew, doing everything with his right hand … [he] can’t do that anymore. Physically and emotionally, it’s going to be a very long road for him,” Wright said.

Despite what’s ahead, Brodie remains in good spirits, as shown by his smile in photos taken after the attack. Wright said the overwhelming support the family has received on social media has helped. A GoFundMe for Brodie and his family had already raised more than $17,000 in donations, as of Monday evening.

“It’s not going to be a short-term thing, so the more help, the better,” Wright said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it captured and killed the nearly 9-foot alligator believed to be responsible for the attack.

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By Bob Hazen

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    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A Volusia County lifeguard is thanking God after surviving a lightning strike this weekend in Ormond Beach.

Damien Curry told WESH 2 he had volunteered to work on July 4th and was responding to a call about a woman who needed help getting to her car near the Seminole Avenue access point when the bolt hit nearby.

“I’ve got my hand on the side of the truck, and then all of a sudden boom! It just blows up, and I jump through the truck. I get lifted off my feet,” Curry said. “I’m shaking, I mean I’m violently shaking. I was in panic. My whole left side of my body was tingling, pins and needles. It was like a bomb went off.”

Curry said he was able to pull himself together, help the woman, and then drove down the beach warning others about the lightning.

“I’m literally on the PA with the lights on going, ‘get off the beach! I just got struck by lightning, you’re gonna die!’”

Curry said paramedics later checked him out and he went to the hospital. He says the tingling sensation subsided several hours later and he’s feeling much better now.

“It was a rough sleep with the fireworks going off. The next day the worst thing happened, the storm came in and I had a full blown panic attack yesterday,” Curry said.

Curry runs a landscaping business and is also a candidate for Ormond Beach’s mayor. He has been a part-time lifeguard for eight years but says now he’s probably going to take a break from watching over the waves for a while.

“My wife wrote on the fridge ‘no more lifeguarding’,” Curry said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.