Charleston leaders voice concern about the court system after King St. shooting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston city leaders expressed their concern on Tuesday after a shooting near King and Morris Streets left five people injured early Sunday morning.

Two people were arrested on Sunday for firearm violations. Charleston Police said one of the suspects, 20-year-old Tyvone Davis, was out on bond for a charge in Orangeburg County.

“We’ve seen a lot of this recently where we are coming into contact with people who are carrying guns. They’re not supposed to be carrying guns. Oftentimes, these are people who are maybe having a history of committing crimes, they’re out on bond for other crimes,” said Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen, the Public Information Officer for the Charleston Police Department.

Police reports show two other people were arrested on King Street in separate incidents over the weekend for unlawfully carrying a gun. This is an issue police said they can’t tackle on their own.

“This is something that needs to go through the legislature. This is something that community needs to outcry about,” said Wolfsen.

The Lowcountry is also facing a major backlog of court cases which officials said is making it easier for criminals to remain on the streets. Mayor John Tecklenburg said he believes it is too easy to make bond.

He is calling on leaders at the state and county level, as well as judges to help make changes.

“It’s just ridiculous. A lot of these people, they get out on bond, and they just go out and do the same thing over and over again. We are willing to work with everyone, all of our partnerships. It has to be a collaborative effort between our police and the other components of the criminal justice system,” said the mayor.

Mayor Tecklenburg said there are over 20,000 outstanding criminal cases in the Tri-County area.

The shooting remains under investigation. Police said they are still working to determine who fired the gun that night.