In the late hours of a September evening in Yemassee, South Carolina, the festive atmosphere following the annual Shrimp Festival was shattered by gunfire, leaving one man dead and several others, including children, wounded. The deceased was identified as 33-year-old Willie Roberts, a male resident of Yemassee.
The shooting occurred around 12:15 a.m. on September 19, 2021, near a convenience store where a large crowd had gathered for a post-festival party.
An argument reportedly escalated, leading to a chaotic scene where multiple individuals opened fire. In the hail of bullets, Roberts sustained fatal injuries. Seven other people, ranging in age from 8 to 31, were also injured in the incident.
In the days following the shooting, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of one suspect, Yogeskumar Rasikhabi Patel, a 40-year-old man from Savannah, Georgia. Patel was taken into custody and faced initial charges of attempted murder and unlawful carrying of a firearm. At the time of his arrest, he was denied bond and remained in custody.
Authorities indicated that their investigation was ongoing and that they anticipated making further arrests in connection with the deadly shooting. The Yemassee Police Department, with assistance from the Hampton County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, continued to piece together the events of that tragic night. Despite the initial arrest, information regarding any subsequent arrests, or the final outcome of the legal proceedings against Patel, has not been publicly available in the time since. The investigation into the full scope of the incident and all individuals involved has been a focus for law enforcement in the community.
