Gunmen stormed and opened fire at a nightclub in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday morning, leaving two people dead and eight others wounded.

Lt. Jimmy Bolt, the spokesman for the county's sheriff's office, said several clubgoers were critically injured. He did not share the identities of the victim or how many were gravely wounded following the incident.

According to Bolt, a deputy was headed to an unrelated call at 2 AM when the officer spotted people running outside the Lavish Lounge. The deputy immediately requested for backup.

Authorities who entered the nightclub said over 200 people were inside during the incident. It was unclear whether the gunmen were still shooting as the law enforcement officers entered the building, the New York Times reported.

County officials identified those killed as 56-year-old Clarence S. Johnson and 23-year-old Mykala Bell. Both victims were pronounced dead at the Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Johnson was working as part of the security personnel at the club on the night of the shooting. He was known in the area to be a peaceful person.

Bell, a young mother of two, was described as a textbook bystander who was caught in a terrible incident.

Persons of Interest

Rapper Foogiano was celebrating his 27th birthday at the club on July 4th. On his Instagram page, the Gucci Mane protege announced he would be holding a free concert at the nightclub where the gunfire erupted.

Video footage suggests the violence began after different groups threw gang signs. While Foogiano was not involved in the incident, police are eyeing his crew members for the gunfire.

Social media users claim the suspects opened fire after someone tried to steal a chain from the performer. Footage shared on multiple platforms showed a man onstage and aiming a weapon at the crowd. He opened fire several times.

Another footage shows a member of the audience approaching the rapper just before the gunfire started, as reported by Page Six.

A representative for the rapper said Foogiano was safe and was not injured during the shooting. However, they refused to respond to the latest allegations.

Violating COVID-19 Restrictions

The Lavish Lounge violated the state's COVID-19 orders after it continued operations despite a mandate that nightclubs and concert venues should remain closed, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said.

In early-June, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster extended the ongoing state of emergency to allow the state to continue receiving emergency funding for expenses in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The State of Emergency banned night clubs, concerts, other venues and events to resume operations. The Lavish Lounge was considered both a club and a concert venue.

Detectives are now investigating whether the club had been granted special permission to hold the packed event.

Sheriff Lewis said the club owner would receive a $200 citation for violating the orders. He also revealed plans of shutting the club down after people were allowed to bring guns inside the establishment, Greenville Online reports.

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