Alex Murdaugh called 911 after being shot in the head Saturday in Hampton County, SLED says

This story first published Sept. 5, 2021.

Hampton lawyer Alex Murdaugh, whose wife and a son were shot to death in June, called 911 early Saturday afternoon after receiving “a superficial gunshot wound to the head,” the S.C. Law Enforcement Division said Sunday.

The agency released details of the shooting Sunday, confirming that Murdaugh, 53, was shot on Old Salkehatchie Road near Varnville in Hampton County and that Murdaugh himself called 911 at 1:34 p.m. Saturday.

The Hampton County Sheriff’s Office responded and coordinated with Hampton County EMS to airlift Murdaugh to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah for the gunshot wound.

SLED personnel were dispatched at 2:41 p.m. at the request of the Sheriff’s Office, with local SLED agents arriving an hour later and SLED crime scene agents getting there at 4:30 p.m., the release said.

Officers worked through the night into Sunday morning, collecting evidence and interviewing potential witnesses.

SLED processed and towed a black Mercedes-Benz SUV driven by Murdaugh from the scene, according to the release.

As of 2:35 p.m. Sunday, there have been no arrests.

The agency encourages anyone with information, “no matter how insignificant,” to contact Crimestoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111.

On June 7, Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, and son Paul were both found shot to death at their Colleton County estate. Murdaugh’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather ran the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office for nearly a century.

Paul Murdaugh, 22, a student at the University of South Carolina, was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while his mother, 52, was killed with what appeared to be an assault rifle, sources familiar with the investigation said, adding that casings were recovered at the scene. Their bodies were found separated from one another.

Their deaths have prompted national interest and speculation around South Carolina, especially in the state’s legal and law enforcement communities, where Alex Murdaugh, his law firm and his family are widely known.

Nearly three months after the murders, SLED has yet to make an arrest or announce a suspect or a motive.

This story was originally published September 5, 2021 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Alex Murdaugh called 911 after being shot in the head Saturday in Hampton County, SLED says."