Three people were wounded, and three juveniles were arrested after deputies said a targeted attack unfolded in a crowded grocery store.
BERKELEY COUNTY, SC — A Thursday night shooting inside the Cane Bay Publix left three people injured, sent shoppers running from the store and led to charges against three juveniles, Berkeley County authorities said.
The shooting rattled a fast-growing community where the State Road grocery store is part of daily life for many families. Deputies said the gunfire was not random, but two bystanders were hit as a targeted victim ran through the aisles. The case now centers on a 17-year-old charged as an adult and two 16-year-olds accused of helping after the shooting.
Jeremiah Riel said he was inside the store with his 12-year-old and 8-year-old sons, shopping for Mother’s Day flowers and cards, when loud popping sounds came from deeper in the store. “At first we thought something fell off of the shelving,” Riel said. He then heard repeated shots and said panic spread as shoppers tried to get out. “It was complete chaos, just a frenzy,” Riel said. “Everybody just completely was tripping over themselves.” Deputies said the shooting happened just before 9 p.m. Thursday at the Publix at 1724 State Road in the Cane Bay area.
Investigators said 17-year-old Antwan Green and two 16-year-old males entered the grocery store looking for an intended victim. Deputies said Green produced a handgun and fired at the victim, who ran through the store to avoid the gunfire. Authorities said the chase moved through the aisles, including aisle 10, as other customers and workers were nearby. A woman shopping with her children and a Publix employee working near self-checkout were struck by gunfire. Deputies found the intended victim near the front of the store with multiple gunshot wounds. Sheriff Duane Lewis said the targeted victim was shot twice and taken into surgery Thursday night. The bystander and employee had injuries described as minor.
Riel said he got his children outside, then went back to help people who were hurt. He described seeing an injured Publix employee near the front of the store with a gunshot wound to her leg. “We cut her pant leg off so we could kind of assess and see what was going on,” Riel said. “The bleeding was pretty much controlled for the most part.” He said another man retrieved a tourniquet from deputies while they waited for first responders. Riel later said his own children were scared because they could not see him after he went back inside. “My 12-year-old was just hysterical,” he said. “He thought that something happened to me because he couldn’t see me.”
Authorities said Green and one other suspect ran toward the back of Cane Bay near Black Tom Road after the shooting. A third suspect went to a nearby gas station and tried to get a ride from a stranger, deputies said. Investigators said the witness did not drive him, ordered an Uber and later gave information that helped deputies find him. Green was later located by K-9 teams while fleeing through the neighborhood, authorities said. The sheriff’s office said all three suspects were in custody within hours. Deputies also said they arrived within one minute of being dispatched to the store.
Green is charged as an adult with three counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was taken to the Hill-Finklea Detention Center, where a judge later denied bond. The two 16-year-old suspects were charged with accessory after the fact of a felony and were taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. Their names were not released because of their ages. Investigators have not released the names of the three people who were shot. Officials have not publicly said what led to the alleged targeting of the victim.
Lewis called the shooting a senseless act of violence that put families, children and workers in danger. He also thanked law enforcement agencies that helped secure the area and make arrests. The shooting left many Cane Bay residents shaken because the Publix is a familiar stop in the neighborhood. Resident Mark Harris said the store is woven into daily life for nearby families. “This Publix is our daily grocery store,” Harris said. “We know the people that work there.” Harris said he and his wife brought pizza to employees Friday as a show of support after the shooting.
Residents continued to process the shooting Friday as the store reopened and deputies moved forward with the case. The next major steps are expected in court and through the sheriff’s office investigation, with Green facing adult charges and the two younger suspects moving through the juvenile justice system.
Author note: Last updated May 11, 2026.