In a chilling episode of gun violence, two individuals lost their lives and another was gravely injured at a Rock Hill smoke shop. The dreadful incident hit Budiman's Smokeshop & Art Gallery, a local business on Cherry Road, at approximately 9:45 p.m. yesterday night, as reported by WSOCTV.

Zachary East Elias, 28, of Columbia, was identified as the suspect by the Rock Hill Police Department. He reportedly fled the scene in a silver Dodge truck, leading to a crash at the bridge over the Catawba River. Despite an officer discharging their weapon, Elias was not struck, the confrontation escalated into a physical tussle, resulting in his arrest, as WYFF4 stated.

Inside the smokeshop, police discovered two deceased victims with gunshot wounds and a wounded woman who was then transported to the hospital. Another woman, fortunately, was unharmed as she fled amidst the turmoil. Details about the victims have not been disclosed, however, it is understood that they were not employees of the store.

The aftermath of the shooting cast a somber shadow on the community as the police cordoned off the area, halting the regular night-time hum of Cherry Road until the early hours of today. Elias has been hit with two counts of murder, alongside two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Channel 9 spoke with a customer who recounted the immediate post-shooting scenario, saying, “She was trying to lay back and relax. I said, ‘No, you need to keep adrenaline pumping.’ She wanted me to help put pressure on her wound, so what I did was I got a clean cloth and I put it on her chest. I grabbed her hand and told her to apply her own pressure. That’s gonna keep you up, keep your adrenaline pumping,” conveying a tense atmosphere where bystanders became impromptu first responders, according to interviews obtained by WSOCTV.

As investigations surge forward, the Rock Hill Police Department has initiated an internal review by their Professional Standards Unit, while The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division has commenced an independent investigation as well, to unravel the sequence of events that transpired in this brutal act of violence that has so abruptly ended and changed lives, as WCNC Charlotte reports.