One Dead And One Injured In Shooting In Charleston

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

One person has died and a suspect has been wounded rushed to a hospital after holding several hostages for hours at Virginia's restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, according to city police.

The hostages were released and are safe and sound.

"This was not an act of terrorism," said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. "This was not a hate crime, it was a tragic case of a disgruntled employee."

According to the AP agency, the suspect is a former dishwasher who had worked in the restaurants, located on one of the most touristy streets in the city.

The former employee entered the premises armed at about noon and killed one of the chefs, then took another employee hostage for about three hours, until the police finally intervened and ended the incident.

One of the restaurant's owners told a local channel that the dishwasher had returned to take revenge after being fired.

About 30 people were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting.

One of the witnesses told the local newspaper The Post and Courier that the armed man entered the kitchen and said "a new boss came to this place." Others say the individual closed the restaurant door and proclaimed himself "the new king of Charleston."

According to Mayor Tecklenburg, the suspect has a mental disorder.