In the early hours of May 4, 2014, a night out in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area ended in tragedy for 24-year-old Jaquann James Price. A Black/African American male from the nearby community of Longs, Price was inside a now-closed establishment known as Teezers Club when a violent altercation erupted. The dispute, reportedly between rival gangs, quickly escalated, shattering the club's atmosphere with the sound of gunfire. Price was fatally shot during the chaos.
He was rushed to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, but succumbed to his injuries at 6:28 a.m. The incident was captured on the club's video surveillance, providing investigators with crucial evidence.
The Horry County Police Department promptly launched a homicide investigation. Based on evidence and witness accounts, they identified 27-year-old Cliston Bellamy as the primary suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest. However, Bellamy had already fled the Myrtle Beach area, sparking a year-long manhunt. The U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force joined the search, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture and conviction. The search for Bellamy extended across county lines as law enforcement agencies collaborated to bring him into custody.
Exactly one year after the shooting, on May 4, 2015, authorities located and arrested Cliston Bellamy in Columbia, South Carolina. He was taken into custody without incident and extradited back to Horry County to face charges. In May 2016, Bellamy appeared in court and, as part of a negotiated plea, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Following his plea, a circuit court judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to a violent episode that had shocked the community and ended a young man's life.
