Southern Vacation Hot Spot Fires Back At Poor Safety Rating Following Shooting: 'fake News'

Myrtle Beach—a popular, coastal South Carolina city for snowbirds and locals alike—is firing backmost against a study ranking it nan No. 2 astir unsafe formation successful nan United States.

Seven of nan apical 10 astir vulnerable beaches listed successful the study from Everly Life, an security company, are successful Florida, including New Smyrna Beach astatine No. 1, followed by Miami Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miramar Beach, Panama City Beach and Ponce Inlet.

The only different non-South Carolina formation included connected nan database is Oak Island, North Carolina, which is classed astatine No. 3.

Researchers examined 4 main consequence factors erstwhile determining nan comparative threat of celebrated U.S. beaches, including crime rates, shark attacks, drownings and upwind conditions. It is unclear why nary West Coast aliases Northeast beaches were listed; Everly Life did not instantly respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

MASS SHOOTING IN MYRTLE BEACH TOURIST HOTSPOT LEAVES 1 DEAD, 11 WOUNDED

An Everly Life study classed Myrtle Beach arsenic nan No. 2 astir unsafe formation successful nan United States. (iStock)

Myrtle Beach crime concerns person been heightened since April 26, erstwhile a shooting successful nan intermezo district near nan shooter dormant and 11 injured. Myrtle Beach officials described nan shooting arsenic an isolated incident.

But locals and metropolis officials disagree that Myrtle Beach is unsafe.

FSU SHOOTING: AT LEAST 6 INJURED, 1 PERSON IN CUSTODY AS POLICE INVESTIGATE ‘ACTIVE CRIME SCENE’

At slightest 1 personification was killed and 11 others were wounded successful a wide shooting successful a celebrated tourer area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Google Earth)

Meredith Denari, head of communications and imaginative services for nan City of Myrtle Beach, described nan Everly Life study arsenic "misleading, flawed and intelligibly skewed," noting that it was not peer-reviewed successful a connection to Fox News Digital.

"I would telephone this study ‘fake news.’"

"Like galore reports produced by life security companies, its superior intent appears to beryllium generating clicks alternatively than serving nan nationalist interest," Denari said. "This is evident successful nan usage of outdated, inconsistent and irrelevant data, including shark onslaught records making love backmost to 1882 and upwind and crime statistic from 2009–2015 and 2023, respectively. None of these sources accurately bespeak nan twelvemonth 2025. Also, nan City of Myrtle Beach was not incorporated until 1938. Even then, it was beautiful difficult to reach. I would telephone this study ‘fake news.’"

Mrytle Beach spokesperson Meredith Denari called nan Everly Life study "fake news." (iStock)

She added that "Myrtle Beach is simply a awesome spot to unrecorded and sojourn for thousands of families," and nan "Myrtle Beach Police Department continues to study downward trends successful crime, and downtown revitalization efforts are good underway."

Denari described nan Saturday shooting arsenic "a tragic, isolated incident."

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ON EDGE AFTER 'ACTIVE ATTACKER' WITH KNIFE CAPTURED NEAR CAMPUS

"Myrtle Beach constabulary officers, already nearby, instantly returned fire, apt redeeming galore lives erstwhile they fatally changeable nan perpetrator," she said.

Authorities successful South Carolina confirmed that 11 group were injured, and 1 dormant successful a Myrtle Beach officer-involved shooting precocious Saturday night.  (Myrtle Beach Police Department Facebook)

"While specifications are constricted astatine this clip owed to an unfastened investigation by nan South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, unit has nary spot successful Myrtle Beach," Denari said. "Saturday’s incident is not reflective of nan experiences of millions of group who sojourn nan area each twelvemonth and bask nan beautiful coastline, our restaurants, family-friendly intermezo and businesses."

Melissa K., a seven-year Myrtle Beach resident primitively from Connecticut, told Fox News Digital she does not consciousness unsafe successful nan southern formation town, wherever she moved for milder upwind and her job.

"And I’m happy I did," she said.

Myrtle Beach resident Melissa K. told Fox News Digital she feels safe successful nan confederate formation town. (iStock)

Locals, she noted, don’t walk overmuch clip successful nan downtown area wherever nan shooting happened. Ocean Boulevard tin pull unsavory behaviour from visitors who enactment retired precocious astatine bars and prosecute successful rowdy behavior, she said. Melissa besides noted that Myrtle Beach is little costly than different formation towns successful nan Carolinas.

"At nan extremity of nan day, things could hap anyplace astatine immoderate clip successful immoderate place. The world's gotten a small spot crazy."

"It has attracted, unfortunately, immoderate of nan incorrect people, from what I've gathered successful my 7 years being here," Melissa said. "As locals, we really don't spell connected nan boulevard aliases that district, particularly astatine night, and particularly alone. But astatine nan extremity of nan day, things could hap anyplace astatine immoderate clip successful immoderate place. The world's gotten a small spot crazy."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The shooting, Melissa said, was "shocking" for nan community, but vulnerable incidents of that standard are not normal for Myrtle Beach.

"I do emotion surviving here. It's a awesome spot to visit, golf, eat, person a good family vacation," she said. "Unfortunately …  you conscionable person to beryllium alert of your surroundings astatine each times, and that conscionable goes for anywhere. It's still a beautiful spot to sojourn and bent retired astatine nan beach. I consciousness safe."