A 24-year-old Virginia man has been charged with murder in a shooting at a hookah lounge that left one teen dead and four other people injured over the weekend, authorities said on Monday.
A second man was also arrested, police told NBC affiliate WSLS. They charged a 28-year-old from Roanoke with being an accessory after the fact.
Police said officers were called to Melody Hookah Lounge in Blacksburg on Friday night for reports of shots fired. They said one person died and four people were taken to local hospitals, but they did not give details of their conditions. Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt told The Roanoke Times that investigators believe the shooting took place outside and some victims were inside and others ran inside.
Jamel Flint, 24, of Roanoke was taken into custody Saturday, officials said in a news release. Flint is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Isiah Robinson of Roanoke, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and a weapons offense.
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The other man, Jalen Mykal Pierce, was charged for his alleged role as being an accessory after the fact of first-degree murder, WSLS reported.
Robinson was a student at Roanoke’s Patrick Henry High School and was a linebacker and running back on the football team, officials said.
Authorities did not release the names of those who were wounded but Virginia Tech President Tim Sands issued a statement saying one of the people who was hurt was a student at the nearby university.
News outlets report Flint went live on Facebook, saying he was innocent and was turning himself in. He also said a lawyer was on the way and law enforcement officers appeared at the end of the video. Court records do not list an attorney for Flint.
