Man gets 20 years for shooting woman in head during parking lot dispute

Bernard “Berney” Garvin Jr., 35, will spend the next two decades in prison after a judge sentenced him this week for shooting a woman in the head. The court found him 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 in Beaufort County. Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting and found spent shell casings on the pavement, bullet damage to a parked minivan, and a pool of blood.

Investigation records indicate the victim had just dropped off her friend at the complex. She was driving the friend’s minivan and planned to ride home with a male friend who followed in a separate vehicle. As the cars entered the parking lot, occupants saw Garvin and another woman struggling over a liquor bottle while people from an all-day party moved around the area.

The victim exited the vehicle and asked Garvin why he was beating the other woman. The two began exchanging angry words. As the man in the other vehicle tried to get the victim into his car to leave, Garvin pulled out a gun and fired at her. Jeff Kidd, a spokesman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, stated that Garvin fired at least four shots.

The bullet grazed the woman’s head. She was transported to a hospital and later transferred to another facility where she was placed in intensive care for possible brain bleeding. Multiple witnesses identified Garvin as the shooter. Authorities arrested him in Georgia three months after the shooting.

Records show Garvin has a criminal history dating back to 2011. His prior convictions include assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, driving under suspension, and parole violations.

The judge imposed a sentence of 20 years in prison followed by five years of probation.