City shuts down restaurant following early Sunday shooting
Published 10:15 am Sunday, July 12, 2020
Investigators with the Vicksburg Police Department are hoping to review security footage from Waffle House on Frontage Road to learn more about a disturbance early Sunday that resulted in gunshots.
According to Vicksburg Police Chief Milton Moore, officers were dispatched to Waffle House on North Frontage Road around 2 a.m. for a shots fired call. When they arrived officers learned there was a fight at the restaurant’s location and someone discharged a firearm into the air.
No one was reportedly injured from the gunshots and the restaurant was ordered closed by Mayor George Flaggs Jr.
“The mayor did close the restaurant until representatives from the restaurant can meet with me and the mayor,” Moore said. “The mayor is just being consistent in what we have done in other situations.”
Witnesses told officers at the scene the suspect had fled the area in a red Chevrolet Tahoe. Officers saw the vehicle flee the scene and a chase ensued.
According to a release from the Vicksburg Police Department, the chase continued to the area of Bowmar Avenue, where the driver jumped from the vehicle and escaped by foot. A handgun was found inside the vehicle and two shell casings were collected in the parking lot.
The mayor has ordered restaurants and bars closed in the past following violent outbreaks. In most cases, the establishment’s owner or management would have to meet with the mayor and chief and agree to additional security terms before being allowed to reopen.
Flaggs said he is looking to have a memorandum of understanding about improved security following the meeting.
Moore said investigators do not have a suspect identified from the shooting incident, but are hoping to get access to the restaurant’s security footage.