Waffle House Violence: 2009–2025 Incidents Analyzed

By Lewis Loflin

Introduction

Waffle House restaurants, operating 24 hours in high-traffic urban areas, have been the sites of multiple violent incidents between 2009 and 2025. This article documents eighteen such cases, identified through a general search for "Waffle House Shootings," including a 2012 shooting in Kingsport, Tennessee. While most incidents involve shootings, some involve other forms of violence, such as assaults. The search results revealed a pattern of Black perpetrators in the majority of incidents, with exceptions including the 2018 Nashville shooting, a 2025 assault in Conover, and one other White perpetrator, which is often overlooked in systemic racism discussions that focus on institutional biases.

This analysis is not a judgment or attack on any racial, ethnic, or cultural group, nor an assessment of the validity of any community’s experiences, but a factual examination of documented incidents and crime statistics related to Waffle House locations.

Notable Violent Incidents at Waffle House Locations

The following incidents, verified by primary sources and supplemented by sullivan-county.com and image evidence from a general search, indicate Black perpetrators in sixteen of eighteen cases, with two White perpetrators (Nashville 2018, Conover 2025). Comprehensive Waffle House-specific racial data is unavailable. Most incidents involve shootings, except where noted:

Waffle House restaurant

A Waffle House restaurant, typical location of documented incidents

Found some more

  • Gainesville, FL (April 2019): Ezekiel Hicks, 25, shot and killed Craig Brewer, 41, at a Waffle House on West Newberry Road after an argument. Brewer was paying for customers’ meals and handing out $20 bills, but a female acquaintance of Hicks was upset he didn’t pay for hers. Hicks retrieved a 9mm Glock from his car, returned, and shot Brewer in the head. Hicks was arrested and later sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter. ABC11. Image evidence confirms Hicks as Black.
    Ezekiel Hicks, suspect in Gainesville Waffle House shooting

    Ezekiel Hicks, confirmed as Black per image evidence.

  • Fayetteville, NC (April 2025): Antwan J. McLean, 26, Christopher D. Blue, 27, and Sebastian A. Meletz, 24, robbed a Waffle House on Raeford Road, with one pointing a gun at an employee’s head and demanding money. They stole cash and fled in a gray Dodge Charger but were arrested after a traffic stop. All face charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping, and felony conspiracy; Blue also faces a firearm possession charge. CBS17, Fayetteville Police. Booking photos confirm McLean, Blue, and Meletz as Black males.
    Antwan McLean, Christopher Blue, and Sebastian Meletz, suspects in Fayetteville Waffle House robbery

    Antwan J. McLean, Christopher D. Blue, and Sebastian A. Meletz, confirmed as Black males per booking photos.

  • Jackson, MS (March 2023): Courtney Mikale Jamison shot into a Waffle House on Highway 18, killing Kevin Clay, 22, and injuring two others. A stolen Kia Rio at the scene had bullet holes. Jamison was arrested and pleaded guilty to a drug charge, with pending charges of aggravated assault and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling. Darkhorse Press, Daily Journal. Image evidence confirms Jamison as Black.
    Courtney Mikale Jamison, suspect in Jackson Waffle House shooting

    Courtney Mikale Jamison, confirmed Black male per image evidence.

  • Tupelo, MS (March 2023): Stanquan Haynes, 28, shot a male at a Waffle House on South Gloster, causing non-life-threatening injury. Haynes was arrested, charged with aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Stanshea Buckingham, 34, was charged with accessory after the fact. WTVA. Image evidence confirms Haynes as Black male, Buckingham as Black female.
    Stanquan Haynes and Stanshea Buckingham, suspects in Tupelo Waffle House shooting

    Stanquan Haynes (Black male) and Stanshea Buckingham (Black female), confirmed per image evidence.

  • Norlina, NC (April 2025): Desmond Hargrove, 24, shot and killed a 16-year-old girl in a residential area. Hargrove was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, and is held without bond in Warren County Jail. CBS17. Image evidence confirms Hargrove as Black.
    Desmond Hargrove, suspect in Norlina shooting

    Desmond Hargrove, confirmed Black male per image evidence.

    • Demographic Patterns and Crime Statistics

    Analysis of 20 Waffle House incidents (2009–2025) identifies 26 perpetrators: 22 Black males (~84.6%), 1 Black female (~3.8%), 2 White (1 male, 1 female; ~7.7%), and 1 unknown (~3.8%), with image evidence for all identified suspects hosted at bristolblog.com. Several incidents involved multiple Black male suspects, such as Columbia 2011 (2 suspects), Spartanburg 2012 (2 suspects), Huntington 2024 (3 suspects), Fayetteville 2025 (3 suspects), and Blythewood 2025 (3 suspects), contributing to the high Black male count. The unknown perpetrator’s race (Fayetteville 2012) is unverified due to missing references, and excluded gang-related shootings lacking detailed reports may understate Black perpetrator prevalence, likely higher than reported. This contrasts with Statista’s claim that 54% of mass shooting perpetrators (1982–2024) are White, which excludes 97–98% of incidents like gang and felony shootings. The Gun Violence Archive estimates 5,000–6,000 mass shootings (four or more shot), where Black and Hispanic perpetrators dominate (70–85%), per sources like USA Today (2006–2022: 50% Black, 20–30% Hispanic).

    FBI 2019 data reports 51.3% Black and 27.5% Hispanic murder arrests, with “White” (45.7%) inflated by Hispanic misclassification in 40+ states. A Google Images search for “robbery suspects” (21 suspects: 57.1% Black, 28.6% Hispanic, 14.3% White) supports the prevalence of Black perpetrators in urban crime, though no Hispanic perpetrators were identified in these Waffle House incidents. Gang-related shootings, often involving illegal handguns, are underreported due to lenient incarceration (~11% of 1 million U.S. gang members jailed), fueling urban violence.

    Statista’s narrow focus on high-fatality public shootings (e.g., Nashville 2018, White) misrepresents demographics by ignoring urban crime realities, where Black male perpetrators dominate, as evidenced by these Waffle House cases. Stricter crime control, not gun control, is needed to address these patterns, which challenge narratives attributing disparities solely to systemic factors.

    Conclusion

    This analysis of 20 violent Waffle House incidents (2009–2025) reveals a pattern of predominantly shootings, with 26 perpetrators: 22 Black males (~84.6%), 1 Black female (~3.8%), 2 White (1 male, 1 female; ~7.7%), and 1 unknown (~3.8%), supported by image evidence for all identified suspects at bristolblog.com. Multiple Black male suspects in incidents like Columbia 2011, Spartanburg 2012, Huntington 2024, Fayetteville 2025, and Blythewood 2025 drive the demographic skew. The unknown perpetrator’s race (Fayetteville 2012) is unverified, and excluded gang-related shootings lacking detailed reports suggest the Black male share may be higher. FBI 2019 data and Gun Violence Archive estimates (5,000–6,000 mass shootings) indicate Black and Hispanic individuals account for 80–85% of such incidents when gang and felony crimes are included, challenging Statista’s 54% White claim. Stricter crime control, not gun control, is critical to address urban violence, as readers can explore via primary sources and sullivan-county.com.

    Acknowledgment

    The author expresses gratitude to Grok, an artificial intelligence developed by xAI, for its assistance in drafting and refining this article. The final edits and perspectives presented herein are solely those of the author.

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