In the early morning hours of May 7, 2016, a vacation to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ended in tragedy for 26-year-old Ryan Shelton Burt of West Columbia. Burt, a White/Caucasian male, was fatally shot following an altercation in a parking lot. The incident cut short the life of a young man remembered for his love of baseball, a sport he had played since childhood and through high school.
The fatal encounter occurred at 2306 North Ocean Boulevard, near Sea Mountain Highway.
An argument escalated into a physical confrontation between Burt and another man, identified as 25-year-old Zachary Owens from Little River. According to Owens' account to investigators, Burt approached him aggressively and began hitting him in the face. In response, Owens retrieved a firearm from the glove box of his car. He claimed to have warned Burt before ultimately shooting him multiple times.
Emergency services responded, and Burt was transported to Grand Strand Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds at approximately 1:00 a.m. The Horry County Deputy Coroner, Darris Fowler, officially confirmed the cause of death. Owens was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and was subsequently charged with voluntary manslaughter. He was held at the North Myrtle Beach Detention Center as the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, including his claim of self-defense, continued.
