Myrtle Beach bar owners appeal business license revocation following deadly shooting

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – The owners of a Myrtle Beach bar are appealing to city leaders to let them reopen their doors.

On Thursday, representatives of Donny’s Saloon appeared before the Myrtle Beach City Council to appeal the revocation of their business license, which happened within the last two weeks, according to city spokesperson Mark Kruea.

Witness testimony and cross-examination took place Thursday morning before the city council.

Jeremy Roof, the director of the city’s financial services department, told city council he believed “without a doubt” that the business’ license should be revoked. He presented sworn statements made by other nearby businesses who cited problems they said were associated with the bar’s clientele.

City leaders will convene to go over the information and a decision is expected from council by June 22.

The appeal comes more than two months after a March 25 shooting at Donny’s Saloon, located on 3rd Avenue South in Myrtle Beach, that ultimately resulted in one death.

According to the Horry County Coroner’s Office, 26-year-old Jas’sier Wilson, of Surfside Beach, died on April 2 from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Two men, 40-year-old Hubert Dwayne Durant and 36-year-old Jermaine Gattison, have been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the shooting.

During the investigation, authorities also said staff at the bar did not call law enforcement or seek treatment for the victim and instead attempted to clean up the crime scene.

This included mopping up the floor and removing shell casings in an attempted to impede the investigation, police said.

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Donny’s Saloon has been listed in 24 police reports since the start of 2018, eight of which were assaults.

Shortly after the March 25 shooting, Donny’s Saloon reopened as The Location, a hookah lounge, island bar and grill.

According to management, the change had been in the works for a while.

During the hearing, officials stated Daniella DiGiorgi has been the owner since 2019.

DiGiorgio said before her license was revoked, she’d been implementing some changes, to show her business is not the same as Donny’s Saloon.

“The image is definitely going to be different,” DiGiorgio said. “A whole 180 from where Donny’s was to where we’re going. Cleaned up the clientele to where we had the clientele manageable. We got rid of all the roughnecks. I can’t say what’s going to happen. I can just hope and pray for the best.”

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