On April 25, children's baseball games were being held at Pepperhill Park, a city-run recreation center in a residential area of North Charleston. 

It was a normal night. Nine and 10-year-olds were playing on the field as parents, siblings and coaches watched. 

Then, just before 8:45 p.m., dozens of shots rang out.

An about one-minute video captured by a parent showed the moments of confusion and panic that followed as children ran or crawled to find safety. 

No one was injured in the gunfire, and no arrests have been announced. City officials quickly said the violence was not something that would be tolerated and pledged to take action to quell gun violence, which has been on the rise in North Charleston and across the country.

The city's response and some of the proposed ideas for addressing the issue have reignited debate over the right balance between public safety and civil rights in South Carolina's third-largest city. It also prompted frustration from community members around what they saw as a lack of action in response to other instances of gun violence in North Charleston, especially in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Rickey Dennis, who reports on the city of North Charleston, crime and public safety reporter Jocelyn Grzeszczak and watchdog and public service reporter Stephen Hobbs share their reporting.

More coverage:

• Another SC community grapples with gun violence after shooting disrupts children’s baseball games
• Some see double standard in shootings as Mayor Keith Summey meets with Pepperhill victims
• North Charleston baseball teams impacted by Pepperhill shooting get a night to remember
• Understand SC: Long-awaited audit shows racial disparities in policing

Understand SC is a weekly podcast from The Post and Courier that draws from the reporting resources and knowledge of our newsroom to help you better understand South Carolina. 

Are there any stories you'd like to hear on the show? Contact us at [email protected].

This episode was hosted and edited by Emily Williams and featured reporters Rickey Dennis, Jocelyn Grzeszczak and Stephen Hobbs.