DeKalb County

Man shot and killed sitting in car outside Waffle House

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned a man was shot and killed outside a DeKalb County Waffle House on Wednesday night just moments after ordering his food.

The shooting happened at the restaurant on Lawrenceville Highway and Montreal Road in Tucker some time before 8 p.m.

Police said the victim went inside to order and came back outside to wait for his food. A car then pulled up beside him, the passenger got out and fired a shot into the car, killing the man, police said.

Officials said the gunman left the scene moments later.

A cook who went out to tell the man his order was ready found him dead.

Channel 2's Kristen Holloway talked to detectives, who were still trying to piece together what happened and why.

Customer Ryan Norton, who works nearby, told Holloway he was surprised to hear the news.

"It's very shocking," Norton said. "Tucker is supposed to be an up-and-coming, progressive area, and to hear something like this, it's kind of sad."

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Police told Channel 2 Action News they've been watching surveillance video that shows the victim walking inside the restaurant to order food. Officials said when he went back to his car, he was shot within seconds.

Police said the victim was alive when officers arrived but later died. It's still unclear what led up to the shooting.

DeKalb police said this is the 68th homicide in the county in 2019, with 44 of those murders just in the last two months. That's on pace to easily break the total for the last few years.

Police have not released a description of the suspect or the getaway car. They also have not released the name of the victim pending notification of family members.