Man gets 20 years for shooting woman in head at Hilton Head party
Bernard Garvin Jr. was convicted this week after witnesses identified him as the shooter at a June 2023 apartment complex dispute.
By Yara Nasser ·
Bernard "Berney" Garvin Jr. will spend two decades in prison for shooting a woman in the head during a 2023 argument at a Hilton Head apartment complex.
A judge sentenced the 35-year-old man to 20 years in prison plus five years of probation this week. He was found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The incident occurred in June 2023 at the Hilton Head Gardens apartment complex.
Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting that day. They found a pool of blood, spent shell casings on the pavement, and bullet damage to a parked minivan. Investigators determined the woman was grazed in the head by a bullet after an argument with Garvin.
The victim had driven her friend’s minivan to the complex, planning to ride home with a male friend who followed in another vehicle. As the cars entered the parking lot, occupants saw Garvin and another woman tussling over a liquor bottle while party attendees wandered nearby. The victim exited the vehicle and asked him why he was beating that woman. The two then exchanged angry words.
As the man in the other vehicle urged the victim to get in his car to leave, Garvin pulled out a gun and fired. Jeff Kidd, a spokesman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, said Garvin fired at least four shots. The woman was taken to a hospital, then transferred to another facility for intensive care to monitor possible brain bleeding.
Multiple witnesses identified Garvin as the shooter. He was arrested three months later in Georgia. Authorities noted his criminal history dates back to 2011 and includes convictions for assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, driving under suspension, and parole violations.
