UPDATE
Feb. 6, 2022
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia police say the man believed responsible for shooting five people, killing one, at a hookah lounge in Blacksburg late Friday night has been apprehended.
Jamel D. Flint, 24, of Roanoke, has been identified as the suspect. He was taken into custody Saturday following a manhunt, NBC 29 reported.
Authorities previously said they believed Flint opened fire at the downtown Blacksburg’s Melody Hookah Lounge, just a short walk from Virginia Tech’s campus, according to Fox.
Blacksburg police obtained six felony warrants for Flint’s arrest, authorities said in a press release.
Flint faces charges of first-degree murder in the death of Isiah O. Robinson, 18, who was a student at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, as well as four counts of first-degree attempted murder and one count of use of a firearm while committing or attempting to commit murder for the remaining four victims, authorities said.
Although the Blacksburg Police Department did not immediately provide details about the arrest, they offered the following statement.
“We would like to thank the community for their assistance along with the Blacksburg Rescue Squad, Virginia Tech Police Department, Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, Christiansburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the New River Valley 911 Center, the FBI and the US Marshals Service who took Mr. Flint into custody. This was truly a group effort to restore safety and security to the Blacksburg community.”
Feb. 5, 2022
BLACKSBURG, Va. – One person is dead and four others are hospitalized following a mass shooting at a Virginia hookah bar late Friday night, according to law enforcement authorities.
Police are still searching for suspects in the deadly rampage at the Melody Hookah Lounge near Virginia Tech’s campus shortly before midnight on Friday, the Blacksburg Police said as they encouraged people to remain inside and secure their surroundings.
VT Alerts (NRV): Reports of shots fired in Blacksburg. Stay inside. Secure doors. Emergency personnel responding. Call 911 for help.
More information can be found here: https://t.co/COheI4SIjV https://t.co/K3r4a0k4XX
— Virginia Tech (@virginia_tech) February 5, 2022
Although police have not released the names of those shot at the lounge, one of the shooting victims was identified as a Virginia Tech student, according to the school.
Officials said the deadly incident was a “complex, ongoing case that has shifted to a homicide investigation.” The severity of the injuries were not disclosed in the hours following the shooting, the New York Post reported.
Tim Sands, the president of Virginia Tech, expressed his condolences for the victims in a statement on Saturday morning.
“Events like this are difficult and unsettling to all of us,” Sands said. “Our community is strong, and our strength is derived from our genuine care and concern for one another.”
According to an announcement on Melody Hookah Lounge’s website, a private event was taking place at the lounge from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. before the general public was allowed entry.
