Four Shootings on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on the Fourth of July

Several shots were fired across the South Carolina Lowcountry during a busy Fourth of July holiday week. Investigators are still on the hunt for the person responsible for the crime. Two individuals are currently in jail, one of which is awaiting trial. However, no one was injured in the incident. The shooter has been identified as Fernando Montano, who works at Wendy’s. He fled the scene but was later found in a trailer off Allen Road. He was not talking to police at the time, and was still at large for hours.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said that the incident is still under investigation. The office is also currently investigating three other shootings that took place on the south side of the island. While it’s still unclear whether the shooting was a random act or the result of a premeditated attack, investigators are gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for information. If you’ve got any information about these shootings, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (843) 773-7825. They’re grateful for the community’s cooperation.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s office responded to the “man down” call at the Hilton Head Island shopping center. Deputies found a young man in the parking lot with apparent gunshot wounds. Several nearby businesses were canvassed for video surveillance, and investigators are currently reviewing footage. The victim was identified as 19-year-old Breiner Daniel Puerta Gonzalez. The case is currently being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Unit.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department also responded to a “man down” call at the Northridge Plaza on William Hilton Parkway. The deputies found a 23-year-old man lying next to a car with multiple gunshot wounds. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital. The incident was not classified as a murder, but investigators are examining whether or not the suspects were armed.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s department also responded to a shooting on Hilton Head Island in 2015. Investigators found a body lying in the parking lot of the Northridge Placa, a high-end movie theater in the popular triangle bar district. The department said that it’s the first time that such a sight has been reported on the island. The victim was identified as 30-year-old Charles Miller. The victim had been shot in the leg before 8 p.m. A second call was received for a shooting five miles away at One Hot Mama’s restaurant. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has yet to make a public announcement about the case, but they say it’s still being investigated.

In the past week, investigators have recovered several disturbing text messages from the victim’s cell phone. The phone was also found inside the apartment of the dead man’s roommate. The Sheriff’s Office also found a silver Mercedes parked outside of the apartment building, which is owned by 41-year-old Jose Guzman-Rosario.

The Hilton Head Island shooting was just one of several in the area during the holiday week. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department and the Hilton Head Police Department are continuing to investigate the incident, and they’ve asked the public for any information they can find out about the crime.