South Carolina residents might have heard about the fatal shooting that killed an executive chef at Virginia’s On King in Charleston on Aug. 24. The shooter who also took a hostage was identified as a 53-year-old ex-convict who was fired from the restaurant the day before the attack.
The incident occurred when a man dressed like a kitchen worker came into the restaurant at around 12:15 p.m. and made those inside go to the back of the restaurant. Some people were able to escape through side doors while the chef was shot. The shooter went to the second floor of the restaurant with a hostage, and a member of a SWAT team shot the gunman at around 2:30 p.m. The shooter was taken to Medical University Hospital in critical condition.
The gunman in this case has a long criminal record. The man was barred from having or legally buying a pistol, and it is not known how he obtained his weapon. When he was 19 years old, the shooter was charged in connection with a 1982 robbery outside Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church on Jackson Street. He was one of the three people charged in the incident that led to a minister being shot and partially paralyzed. He received a 20-year sentence for this event. After this, he had more trouble with the law for things like cocaine possession, second-degree assault and strong arm robbery.
While the nature of violent crimes can vary, those accused could face substantial jail time if convicted. Charges are typically more serious if another person was seriously injured or killed or if one intended to kill someone else. Previous convictions or the use of a weapon could also make the consequences more severe. People who are facing these types of charges might want to have the representation of a criminal defense attorney as early in the process as possible.
