2 People Dead, 8 Others Injured in Shooting at Nightclub in Greenville, S.C. During Foogiano Concert

Two people are dead and eight others were injured after a shooting broke out at a nightclub in South Carolina.

Police said the shooting happened just before 2 a.m. early Sunday morning (Jul. 5) at Lavish Lounge in Greenville.

Two deputies were driving on White Horse Road when they noticed a disturbance at the club.

The deputies called for backup after hearing gunshots from inside and seeing a large crowd of people running out of the building.

Lt. Jimmy Bolt with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found multiple gunshot victims were found inside the club. The victims were taken to the hospital via EMS and personal vehicles, reports indicated.

Scene at Club Lavish where 12 people were shot. @GvlCoSheriff on scene along with forensics. Anyone with info. should call 23-CRIME. #breaking pic.twitter.com/U4Xj9jSmFZ

— Cody Alcorn (@CodyAlcorn) July 5, 2020

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed that two people died from their injuries, while police said the eight other victims’ injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to critical.

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said there was a “very, very, very large crowd” inside the nightclub for “some type of concert.”

Posts on social media advertised a 4th of July performance by Atlanta trap rapper Foogiano—who is signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 record label.

A Facebook Live stream showed the exact moment the shooting happened. Someone was performing on stage when all of a sudden shots started to ring out. At least a dozen shots could be heard as patrons scrambled to either exit the building or seek cover.

“There’s a lot of shell casings inside,” Sheriff Lewis said. “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.”

The shooting happened as Coronavirus cases in South Carolina have spiked, with Greenville being named as a hotspot in the state.

Last week, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster reminded residents that he hadn’t lifted restrictions on large gatherings, and those operating nightclubs illegally or holding concerts against his orders could face criminal charges.

Sheriff Lewis said he didn’t know whether the club sought an exemption to the governor’s order or secured a permit for the event Saturday night, but said it was clear that clubgoers were not wearing masks or socially distancing.

“It’s certainly not the best situation to stop the spread of this virus,” the sheriff said.

Police said they are actively investigating the shooting and are seeking two suspects. Lewis said the shooting could have possibly been gang-related.

Be the first to receive breaking news alerts and more stories like this by subscribing to our mailing list.