Documents show history of violence at Longs area bar where 1 killed, 2 hurt on New Year’s Day

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A 22-year-old man was killed in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, according to the Horry County coroner.

Coroner Robert Edge confirmed to WMBF News that Emmanuel Melvin was shot just after 3 a.m. Sunday at the G-Spot Arcade Bar and Grill along Highway 90, between Old Chesterfield and Andrew roads.

An incident report shows officers found Melvin inside of the business at the front door with gunshot wounds. It states that responding officers helped control the “hostile crowd” until EMS arrived and took the victim to the hospital where he later died.

Two other incident reports reveal that two other people were hurt in the shooting.

In one case, a male victim told officers he was hanging out with friends when they heard possible gunshots and they ran to his car and left the location. The report states the victim didn’t know he was shot until he went to get cigarettes out of his pocket, where he then drove himself to the hospital.

According to the third incident report connected to the shooting, a female victim was at the bar and was about to leave when she heard gunshots. She told officers that she was grazed in the hip by a bullet. The incident report states she was taken to the hospital by family members to get checked out.

At this point, no arrests have been made in the case.

WMBF News spoke off-camera with Melvin’s mother who said she’s working to get the bar shut down.

Public index records show there have been efforts in the past to close the bar where the shooting occurred.

Back in January 2017, the solicitor’s office served a public nuisance notice against the bar and filed a petition for a temporary injunction in order to close the bar for one year.

The documents show that the Longs bar was the location for numerous calls for service involving shootings, fights and illegal drugs.

“Since 2006 the Horry County Police Department has responded to the G Spot 28 times for calls involving guns, assaults, drugs and/or any combination of the three,” the petition states.

The documents show on Jan. 1, 2016, officers responded to the bar for a shots fired call. When officers arrived, they said they found blood, several spent shell casings and a car owned by security personnel had been shot. The shooting victim checked into Conway Medical Center for a gunshot wound to the leg, the petition states.

In another incident on Oct. 22, 2016, a car with three people inside left the bar and was followed by another car that had left the bar.

“The Cadillac pulled next to the other car on Highway 90 and fired multiple gunshots at the passengers in the car. The male passenger was shot through his arm and abdomen,” according to the petition.

Less than a month later, on Nov. 12, 2016, there was a large fight inside the bar which spilled out into the parking lot and shots were fired, court documents state. No one was shot in that case.

In response to the petition for a temporary injunction, an order of abatement was filed in February 2017, which listed out terms that the G Spot must follow to avoid shutting down. The order was signed by 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson and the owners of the bar.

“What we did in 2017 was we entered into an agreement where we wouldn’t ask a judge to decide. But what we said is we’ll do a three-year probationary period situation. And at any time, if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, we’re going to take this agreement and go back in front of a judge,” Richardson explained.

The bar had to follow the following terms for two years:

• The bar would close at or before 1 a.m.
• The bar would not use event promoters or host special events
• The bar would have SLED-certified security guards inside and outside of the establishment, and the security guard must check all patrons entering the bar for weapons and drugs
• The bar would maintain a 50 patrons to one security guard ratio
• The bar would maintain a street light in the parking lot
• The bar would maintain security cameras and DVR system that would cover the inside of the bar and outside parking area
• The bar would comply and cooperate with all reasonable requests from law enforcement

Public records show that the case against the bar was dismissed on Sept. 18, 2017.

Richardson explained that the recent shooting doesn’t violate the 2017 agreement since it’s outside of the three-year probationary period.

He said if action wants to be taken against the bar, it’s going to take specific requirements.

“One shooting doesn’t do it, that isn’t a nuisance. It is a series. It is a business that you are going after for a series of situations. A series of drug sales, a series of police having to go there night after night after night,” Richardson said.

The solicitor added that his office has not been notified of any efforts to shut down the bar.

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