Newly unveiled 911 recordings reveal the palpable fear among North Charleston, South Carolina, residents who reported sightings of armed teenagers and gunfire, with one caller likening the mayhem to a “full-out war.” This chaos unfolded during a Fourth of July block party, which later saw police officers assaulted.
The 911 recordings, obtained by News Media from Charleston County Dispatch, disclose a surge of frantic calls made shortly before 8:30 p.m. As the city-approved Fourth of July celebration in North Charleston’s Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood began spiraling into disorder.
Callers were heard reporting that individuals blatantly carried firearms, gunshots rang repeatedly through the area, and a palpable sense of fear gripped the community. As officers tried in vain to disperse the crowd of hundreds, multiple officers ended up being attacked, leading to six arrests.
During the tumultuous Fourth of July event in the Chicora-Cherokee area, two North Charleston police officers apprehend an individual before additional officers were assaulted. (Credit: Mark Brown)
Among the first reports to emergency services was a caller who alerted dispatchers about armed crowds gathering near Calvert Street and North Carolina Avenue. “Everybody got guns,” the caller stressed, urgently requesting police intervention, “We need the police out here bad. They need to come out here.”
The caller also reported hearing gunfire and described seeing a blue Dodge Charger parked near a bus stop with armed people gathered around it.
As officers responded, another resident described the situation rapidly deteriorating after having already contacted authorities.
North Charleston police displayed firearms, magazines and other evidence recovered after a Fourth of July block party where officers were attacked, and multiple arrests were made. (North Charleston Police Department)
“I called 45 minutes ago and asked to have officers come out here to break up a group of kids with firearms, and now there’s like a full-out war going on outside my f—ing front door,” the caller told a dispatcher.
Dispatch logs show officers soon reported more than 500 people at the gathering while requesting every available unit to help disperse the crowd.
The same caller later reported seeing what appeared to be muzzle flashes.
The North Charleston Police Department released a photo of a makeshift spear recovered during its response to a July 4 block party in the Chicora-Cherokee community. Police said the investigation into the incident remains ongoing. (North Charleston Police Department)
“I just watched about six of them that have f—ing muzzle flash,” the caller said. “It looked like they were f—ing shooting at each other and running in opposite directions.”
Another resident in the area told dispatchers that one person in the crowd shouted, “Get the strap,” before the caller heard gunfire moments later.
“I came inside and about 10 seconds later I heard three gunshots,” the caller said. “I need officers over here please.”
Another homeowner reported watching teenagers fire a handgun into the ground from across the street.
“I got a group of like teenage kids across my street… shooting a gun into the… ground,” the caller said, adding the individual tucked the weapon back into his waistband.
A North Charleston police officer struggles with a woman while making an arrest during a Fourth of July block party in the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood. Police said multiple officers were assaulted during the incident. (Credit: Mark Brown)
The recordings also capture the growing fear among residents as gunfire continued.
One caller told dispatchers they had armed themselves while waiting for officers to arrive.
“I have my gun in my hand. If they come on my property, I will kill somebody,” the caller said, noting that he heard 20 to 30 shots. “I have on camera several individuals. We’ve been calling all night about this. We need people posted out here.”
As the response intensified, officers were instructed not to respond alone and to pair up while working the crowd.
Police previously said officers responded around 8:30 p.m. after receiving reports of people firing fireworks toward passing vehicles before learning attendees had begun discharging firearms.
Officers repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse, but multiple fights broke out, and additional gunfire was reported, prompting officers to leave their patrol vehicles to restore order.
Authorities said multiple officers were assaulted during the response, including two female officers who suffered minor injuries. Viral video from the scene shows one officer being pulled to the ground while attempting to detain a woman before several people began striking her.
Investigators recovered multiple firearms, including what police described as a machine gun, along with a makeshift spear. Six people — including four juveniles — have since been charged in connection with the incident, though police said the investigation remains active and additional arrests are possible.