Anferny Devon Freeman and the 2025 St. Helena Island Mass Shooting
The Shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill
Anferny Devon Freeman was charged in connection with a mass shooting that killed four people and wounded 15 others at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The violence erupted shortly before 1:00 a.m. on October 12, 2025, while hundreds of people were gathered at the establishment following events associated with a Battery Creek High School class reunion weekend. Freeman has been accused of participating in the gun battle, but the charges against him remain allegations unless proven in court.
Approximately 350 people were reportedly inside or around the crowded bar when the shooting began. Investigators said the incident appeared to grow out of a hostile encounter involving Freeman and 22-year-old Kashawn Smalls-Glaze. Authorities alleged that Freeman and Smalls-Glaze exchanged gunfire inside the packed establishment. A possible third gunman was also identified through the examination of shell casings, bullets, recorded video and witness statements.
Gunfire spread panic throughout the building. Patrons rushed toward exits, hid behind furniture and fled to nearby businesses and residences. Emergency responders arrived to find numerous people suffering from gunshot wounds. Some victims were transported by ambulance, while others were taken to hospitals in private vehicles. Four people died, and 15 additional victims were wounded. Freeman was also shot in the stomach and was driven to a hospital for treatment.
The Victims
The four people killed came from communities in and around Beaufort County. They included young adults attending the gathering as well as a security worker who was reportedly present at the bar when the violence began.
- Kashawn Smalls-Glaze, 22 — Smalls-Glaze was from Beaufort, South Carolina. He was killed during the October 12, 2025, shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island. Investigators later said evidence indicated that he had fired a weapon during the confrontation and exchanged gunfire with Freeman.
- Chiraad Smalls, 33 — Smalls was a Beaufort resident who was fatally shot at Willie’s Bar and Grill during the early-morning violence on October 12, 2025.
- A’shan’tek Milledge, 22 — Milledge, a resident of Burton, South Carolina, was killed at the bar on October 12, 2025. Reports indicated that she was the daughter of a Battery Creek High School graduate and had gone to the establishment after an earlier alumni gathering.
- Amos Gary, 55 — Gary lived on St. Helena Island and was reportedly working as a security guard at Willie’s Bar and Grill. He was killed during the shooting on October 12, 2025.
Fifteen surviving victims suffered gunshot injuries of varying severity. Several were initially reported to be in critical condition. The youngest person known to have been wounded was reportedly a 17-year-old girl. Authorities did not immediately release a complete public list of the surviving victims because of medical privacy concerns and the continuing criminal investigation.
The Investigation
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation with assistance from the Beaufort Police Department, Port Royal Police Department, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and federal prosecutors. Investigators collected a large quantity of physical evidence from the scene, including spent cartridge cases, bullets, firearms-related evidence and possible DNA.
Video from inside and outside the bar became an important part of the inquiry. Investigators attempted to reconstruct where each shooter had been standing and determine which bullets had been fired from particular weapons. The large number of shots fired within a brief period raised concerns that at least one firearm may have been illegally modified to fire automatically or at an unusually rapid rate.
The investigation was initially complicated by the reluctance of witnesses to identify the people who had fired weapons. Hundreds of patrons had been present, but officials said many people left without speaking to investigators. Sheriff P.J. Tanner publicly appealed for witnesses to cooperate and said detectives believed that two or three people had fired indiscriminately during the confrontation.
As additional witnesses came forward, investigators said they were able to combine their statements with ballistic evidence and recorded footage. Authorities alleged that the shooting began after an unfriendly encounter between Freeman and Smalls-Glaze. Investigators did not publicly determine which man fired first, explaining that the exact sequence of events would ultimately be addressed through the court process.
Charges Against Freeman
On November 14, 2025, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office announced that Freeman, then 27 years old, had been charged with four counts of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The four murder counts represented the deaths of Smalls-Glaze, Chiraad Smalls, Milledge and Gary.
Freeman was already being held in jail on a separate charge involving possession of a machine gun when the murder warrants were served. A judge denied him bond on the four murder charges, leaving him in custody while prosecutors prepared the case for further court proceedings.
Authorities charged Freeman with all four deaths under South Carolina law even though investigators believed more than one person had fired a weapon. Prosecutors may pursue murder charges against a participant in a deadly gun battle when that person is alleged to have intentionally joined in conduct that caused or directly contributed to the deaths. The precise legal theory and the responsibility for each fatal shot will have to be established through evidence presented in court.
Additional Shooters and Possible Charges
Investigators said ballistic evidence indicated that a third person may also have fired during the incident. Officials continued attempting to identify that individual and determine whether one person had used more than one firearm. Sheriff Tanner said additional arrests or charges were possible and emphasized that the investigation included the injuries suffered by the 15 surviving victims, not only the four deaths.
The fact that Smalls-Glaze allegedly fired a weapon complicated the investigation. Although he was one of the people killed, authorities also identified him as a participant in the exchange of gunfire. Detectives had to separate bullets fired by the suspected shooters from bullets that struck innocent patrons and determine whether every victim had been hit by the same weapon or by several different firearms.
The Setting and Aftermath
Willie’s Bar and Grill served Gullah-inspired food and was located in the Frogmore area of St. Helena Island, a community with deep ties to Gullah-Geechee history and culture. The October 12 gathering was connected informally to a weekend celebrating the 25th anniversary of Battery Creek High School’s class of 2000. Alumni organizers clarified that the official gathering had taken place elsewhere and had ended before many participants traveled to the bar.
The shooting caused widespread grief throughout Beaufort County. Families mourned four people who had entered the establishment expecting an evening of socializing and celebration. Community organizations called for cooperation with investigators, and rewards were offered for information that could help authorities identify everyone involved.
County officials also scrutinized the operation of Willie’s Bar and Grill. The sheriff said deputies had responded to numerous previous incidents at the location and argued that the establishment presented a continuing danger. The business’s alcohol license was suspended, and the owner later announced that the bar would permanently close. Plans were discussed to use the location for a community learning center instead.
Legal Status of the Case
Freeman’s prosecution continued after the 2025 charges were filed. His preliminary hearing was later waived, allowing the evidence to proceed toward consideration by a grand jury. In March 2026, authorities announced 14 additional assault and battery charges connected with people wounded in the shooting.
Freeman has been accused of taking part in one of South Carolina’s deadliest shootings of 2025. He has not been described as the only person who fired a weapon, and investigators have continued examining the actions of other suspected participants. The criminal charges do not by themselves constitute a conviction. Freeman is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless prosecutors prove the allegations against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
The October 12, 2025, shooting left four families grieving and numerous survivors facing physical injuries, emotional trauma and medical expenses. The investigation required detectives to analyze evidence from a chaotic scene filled with hundreds of witnesses and multiple possible shooters. The court proceedings are expected to determine Freeman’s legal responsibility for the deaths of Kashawn Smalls-Glaze, Chiraad Smalls, A’shan’tek Milledge and Amos Gary, as well as the injuries suffered by the surviving victims.
