A Waffle House employee was fatally shot in North Carolina by a customer who became “irate and verbally abusive” toward employees after placing his order, according to the Laurinburg Police Department.
Police responded to a report of shots fired just after midnight Friday at a Waffle House in Laurinburg, where they found 18-year-old Burlie Dawson Locklear suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.
Locklear was transported to Scotland Memorial Hospital where he later died.
This photo released by the Laurinburg Police Department shows Burlie Dawson Locklear, a Waffle House employee who was fatally shot on Sept. 13, 2024.
Laurinburg Police Department
An investigation revealed that the suspect arrived at the Waffle House and ordered food, but while it was being prepared, he became “more agitated and verbally abusive towards the employees,” according to police.
He walked away from the restaurant after getting his food, but turned as he walked to his car and fired two shots at the Waffle House, hitting Locklear, police said.
The suspect then fled the scene, police said.
Police described the suspect as a 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 black male with a light complexion, long dreads, facial hair including a beard and mustache. He was last seen wearing a dark blue hoodie, blue jeans and white shoes.
This photo released by the Laurinburg Police Department shows a man suspected of fatally shooting a Waffle House employee.
Laurinburg Police Department
This photo released by the Laurinburg Police Department shows a man suspected of fatally shooting a Waffle House employee.
Laurinburg Police Department
The suspect was driving a dark gray vehicle, possibly a 2014 Chevrolet, according to police.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to contact them.