Murrells Inlet woman fires gun at alligator to scare it. She scared her neighbors instead
Neighbors called police after a woman allegedly shot her gun into a pond toward an alligator, an Horry County Police report said.
Cheryl Loiacono, 59, was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm or attempting to kill wildlife in certain sanctuaries on April 28, according to online bookings. She was brought to the J. Reuben Long Detention Center and was released Monday morning after paying a $1,000 bail.
The Murrells Inlet woman told police a neighbor called her about an alligator headed toward a swan and its nest. Loiacono said in order to protect the swan, she shot in the water near the alligator. She did not want to hurt the reptile but rather scare it away, according to the police report.
Around 40 minutes later, the alligator swam past her house along Wimbledon Way so she fired another shot. Neighbors called the police over Loiacono firing shots.
When police arrived, they found an alligator with no injuries. Police then arrested Loiacono for reckless discharge of a firearm.
