CONWAY, SC — A 19-year-old man from Moore, South Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty in connection to a 2023 shooting involving law enforcement during the Carolina Country Music Festival in Myrtle Beach, prosecutors said.
Key Points
- London Tijae Staggs, 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and battery and firing into an occupied vehicle.
- The shooting occurred during the 2023 Carolina Country Music Festival in Myrtle Beach.
- Staggs was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Circuit Court Judge David P. Caraker.
Shooting targeted occupied vehicle during festival
London Tijae Staggs pleaded guilty to two felony charges: first-degree assault and battery, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, according to the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The incident occurred during the 2023 Carolina Country Music Festival at a Myrtle Beach parking garage.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Seth Oskin and Violent Crimes Prosecutor Jim Stanko prosecuted the case. Authorities confirmed that the shooting involved law enforcement officers, but no injuries to officers were reported.
Consecutive sentencing handed down
The Honorable Circuit Court Judge David P. Caraker sentenced Staggs to 10 years on the assault and battery charge, followed by an additional five years for discharging a firearm into a vehicle. The sentences will run consecutively, totaling 15 years.
“The Solicitor’s Office stands firmly with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement and there is no tolerance for attacking officers or anyone else for that matter in our circuit,” a statement from the prosecutor’s office read.
Festival security compromised by violence
The Carolina Country Music Festival annually draws thousands to Myrtle Beach. Prosecutors said the shooting disrupted the event, which is otherwise known for peaceful entertainment.
Officials have not disclosed what led up to the shooting or whether any others were involved. No additional charges have been announced.
