17-year-old employee killed inside northwest Charlotte restaurant, police say

CHARLOTTE — A homicide investigation is underway after an employee at a Charlotte fast food restaurant was killed, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Friday.

CMPD said at about 2:45 p.m. that its homicide unit was called to N. Hoskins Road near Brookshire Boulevard.

Channel 9′s Joe Bruno went to the scene and said the investigation was inside Jack in the Box.

CMPD told Bruno that a 17-year-old employee was shot and killed inside the restaurant while he was waiting for someone to pick him up after work.

Police said they believe the employee was targeted in the shooting. CMPD didn’t give any details about a possible motive for the shooting.

CMPD added that investigators are looking for two people in connection with the shooting. Both of the suspects were said to be wearing masks, according to CMPD.

“Not a 17-year-old hanging out on the street or trying to break into cars -- a 17-year-old who was at work and finished work, and was waiting to go home on Easter weekend,” CMPD Maj. Ryan Butler said Friday.

Someone who works at the Jack in the Box spoke with Channel 9 about what she saw.

“They had all black clothing, all black mask on, and it looked like they had Nike Jordans on,” said an employee, who did not want to be identified. “They were running past the Starbucks.”

Butler said CMPD is focusing on finding those responsible.

“Our job is to bring justice to this young man and to this young man’s family because they deserve no less,” Butler said.

The victim hasn’t been identified yet.

“I do know that they singled our victim out when they entered the restaurant, but I do not have the basis of the confrontation right now,” Butler said.

Channel 9 has reached out to Jack in the Box for a comment on the shooting.

This homicide investigation is the fourth deadly shooting of a Charlotte fast-food worker in the last year.

• March 2023: 23-year-old employee shot, killed outside south Charlotte McDonald’s
• October 2023: Argument between 2 Wendy’s employees leads to deadly shooting, CMPD says
• March 2024: Suspect, victim in deadly Cook Out shooting were co-workers

We’re working on getting more information on this developing story, check back for updates.

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