Former 19-year-old employee shot, killed outside Waffle House in DeKalb County, witness says

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb police are investigating a murder outside a Waffle House.

A young man was gunned down in front of the restaurant early in the morning of Monday, August 21, according to police.

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach spoke with an employee who said the victim used to be an employee at that Waffle House location.

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Sanquisha Paden says she was sitting outside the Waffle House near the end of her shift around five Monday morning while her friend, a 19-year-old former worker was eating some food and waiting for his ride.

“That’s when dude approached him and just started hitting him and pistol-whipping him,” Paden said.

She doesn’t know if it was a robbery, but felt like the suspect targeted him. At first, she thought she was also shot.

“All I kept hearing was shots ringing through my ear ‘cause I’m sitting next to him,” Paden said. “So when he sits back and I’m next to him…trying to roll away from him and everything. That’s when I hear all the shots before I started running into the store.”

She saw the shooter run off and called 911. The victim, Bernard Williams, was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.

“The whole situation is just crazy and I just pray for his family. That’s all I can say. He didn’t deserve it.”

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The witness said Williams was an employee of the restaurant. Waffle House confirmed in a statement that the victim worked there briefly from June 15 to July 12, but hasn’t worked at the restaurant since then.

“We are cooperating fully with the investigation and direct all additional questions regarding the specifics of this incident to the police department,” the company wrote in a statement.

Detectives have video from the Waffle House security cameras on the outside right where the shooting took place.

On Thursday, August 24, DeKalb police officers located and arrested two suspects for the armed robbery and murder of Williams.

The suspects have been identified as Walter Hopson, 18, and Tyjere Bey-Robinson, 17.

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This story has been updated to reflect the victim was not working at Waffle House as of July 15, 2023.

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