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The estate of a deceased Ohio man who was staying at a Myrtle Beach resort is claiming in a lawsuit that the man was killed by an overzealous security guard. Aaron Timeaus Holston Jr., 23, of Ohio, was a guest at the Driftwood by Sea Mist Resort at 1207 S. Ocean Blvd on Feb. 4, 2025. He was in his car in the parking lot when the on-duty security guard, Steven Richard Ingate Jr., approached his vehicle, later stating he had smelled marijuana, according to the lawsuit. The interaction quickly turned deadly when Ingate discharged his weapon into the side of the car, the lawsuit states. Now, Holston’s estate is suing the hotel and its security for the death. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Horry County. The Sea Mist Resort and its owner, Carolinas Holding Company, could not be reached for comment. Carolinas Holding Company also owns the Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort at 305 13th Ave. South, which is now mostly boarded up.
Ingate also could not be reached for comment. After approaching Holston’s vehicle, Ingate attempted to forcibly remove Holston from the car, the lawsuit states, and witnesses observed Ingate point a taser at Holston before drawing his firearm. Holston then attempted to reverse the vehicle, striking two nearby parked cars. When he attempted to drive forward, he hit a curb and a speed bump. Ingate ran after the car, according to the lawsuit, and discharged his firearm into the side of Holston’s car. Forensic analysis suggested 12 bullet holes in the car’s door shot from about five to six feet away, the lawsuit claims.
Surveillance video shows that Ingate continued shooting Holston after his car had collided with another vehicle and stopped moving, during which Holston’s body was “visibly reacting to gunfire,” the lawsuit reads. Witnesses and investigators claimed that between 15 and 23 shots were fired in total, according to the lawsuit. Two police reports were filed at the time of the shooting, one of which described the incident as justifiable homicide while the other placed the blame on Holston, calling the incident an aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, The Sun News previously reported. Both reports state that an altercation took place before the incident. There were no charges brought against Ingate, The Sun News previously reported. Holston’s aunt, Taralyn Sanders, said in a previous interview with The Sun News that Holston was alone and did not have any weapons with him during the incident. Holston’s body was “riddled with bullets until lifeless,” the lawsuit states, and he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and pelvis. He was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Meanwhile, Ingate sustained a swollen ankle and abrasions, which investigators deemed more consistent with a fall than a collision with a vehicle, the lawsuit claims. Investigative reports noted inconsistencies between Ingate’s statements and video evidence, and portions of the resort’s security footage were “missing or obscured,” the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit states that witnesses called Ingate “not friendly” and “trigger-happy.” It also claims that Ingate did not comply with a directive requiring security concerns to be reported to the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Rather, Ingate attempted to detain Holston himself, escalated the encounter, and used deadly force, the lawsuit claims.
