Family of man charged with murder for Myrtle Beach shooting says it was self-defense

ALBEMARLE, N.C. — The family of a man charged with murder is standing by him, saying the deadly shooting was in self-defense.

Anthony Garner is in a jail cell over 100 miles away from his hometown of Albemarle, North Carolina on a murder charge. His family said he’s a humble man who would never hurt anyone. They say he was just protecting himself, his wife and his daughter.

“He’s not a killer. He’s not a killer,” said his wife Ashley Garner. “He’s far from a killer.”

Myrtle Beach police said Anthony Garner shot and killed Cedric Reddick after a verbal altercation and road rage incident last Saturday. Garner was given no bond by a judge.

Ashley was with Anthony at the time and said the shooting was in self-defense. She and her family were in town to celebrate their daughter’s high school graduation. She claims they were going down the strip when they were brutally assaulted, resulting in Anthony Garner doing what he had to do to defend his family.

“Anthony Garner is a great man,” she said. “I know it seems we’re being repetitive but if we start a list of all of the great things he is, we would be here all day.”

Garner did not want to go into detail about the assault, but did say her husband saved her life. Their daughter, Nubia, was also there when the shooting happened and can’t believe her dad is still in jail.

“Without his heroic and swift actions, my mom and myself may not be here right now,” Nubia said. “For that, I’m eternally grateful.”

“I pray for his mental health right now because doing something like that is something a person never wants to do,” she said. “It’s something he didn’t want to do but he had to. I pray for him. I worry about him more than I worry about myself.”

For now, the Garners and the group of people supporting them can only shed tears, pray, and hope they’re vindicated in the end.

“You will be home,” Ashley Garner said. “I can’t wait until you get home so you can feel the love.”

Garner’s family said their biggest goal right now is to get a lawyer to be able to fight these charges effectively. They said they’re raising money to be able to get that done.

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