Attorney says Alex Murdaugh shooting was not self-inflicted; injuries included entry wound, skull fracture

HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – An attorney representing Alex Murdaugh says injuries he sustained during a shooting Saturday afternoon in Hampton County included an entry wound, skull fracture, and minor brain bleeding.

Attorney Jim Griffin confirmed the information to News 2 on Thursday, saying the shooting was not self-inflicted and that a family member told him about Alex’s wounds.

The State Law Enforcement Division initially described the injury as a superficial gunshot wound to the head and that he had been airlifted to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia.

An incident report from the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office that was released by the State Law Enforcement Division on Thursday initially showed a mistake, saying Murdaugh did not suffer any visible injuries. But a corrected version was later released showing he received a ‘major injury.’

SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said over the weekend that Murdaugh called 911 saying he had been shot in the head along Old Salkehatchie Road near Varnville, South Carolina.

Griffin, the family attorney, said Murdaugh was on Salkehatchie Road heading to Charleston when he discovered the vehicle that he was driving had a low tire pressure notice.

He stated that while Murdaugh was outside of the vehicle, a truck circled back after passing him and asked if he had car trouble. According to Griffin, after Murdaugh said he didn’t know if he had the proper equipment to change the tire, someone inside the truck opened fire.

Griffin says Murdaugh told SLED the driver was a male and provided limited details to a sketch artist. SLED has not released that sketch to the public.

Murdaugh later released a statement saying he was going to resign from the family law firm and seek rehab for what his brother, Randy, later referred to as drug addiction.

“The murders of my wife and son have caused an incredibly difficult time in my life. I have made a lot of decisions that I truly regret. I’m resigning from my law firm and entering rehab after a long battle that has been exacerbated by these murders,” Alex Murdaugh said in his statement. “I am immensely sorry to everyone I’ve hurt including my family, friends and colleagues. I ask for prayers as I rehabilitate myself and my relationships.”

The law firm, Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick PA, released a statement of their own saying Murdaugh resigned on Friday, September 3rd, that he was no longer associated with them, and that he misappropriated funds.

News 2 reached out to SLED for more information. Crosby said it would be “inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case while the investigation is ongoing.”