UPDATE (2/6/2022 at 12:20 a.m.)
The man police say is responsible for a shooting that left a high school student dead and four others hospitalized has been arrested, according to the Blacksburg Police Department.
According to authorities, Jamel D. Flint, 24, of Roanoke, has been taken into custody in Roanoke without incident.
This comes after a night in downtown Blacksburg turned deadly following a shooting at Melody Hookah Lounge on Friday at about 11:53 p.m.
Flint has been charged with murder in the death of 18-year-old Isiah O. Robinson, a student at Patrick Henry High School. We’re told that Robinson was a star athlete at the school, playing both basketball and football.
On Saturday at about 3 p.m., Patrick Henry Football took to Twitter to express their condolences.
We are saddened today by the loss of one of our own. Isiah will be missed and our hearts and prayers go out to his family, football family and friends. 💔🖤 💜 #3. #OneOfUs pic.twitter.com/AHxrpNTu9t
— PH_Football (@PHPatriotsFB) February 5, 2022
That same night, those at the Adam Ward Classic in Salem took the chance to remember a life taken too soon:
In addition, four other victims were sent to the hospital as a result of the shooting, one of the victims being a student at Virginia Tech, according to university officials. Parents say the student is out of surgery, recovering and doing well.
[’It’s just scary’: Virginia Tech students, parents react to downtown Blacksburg deadly shooting]
It wasn’t until Saturday shortly before 8 p.m. that police identified Flint as the suspect. The Blacksburg Police Department said Flint was still at large and considered armed and dangerous. Six felony warrants were issued for Flint’s arrest including:
- Murder in the first degree for the homicide of 18-year-old Isiah O. Robinson, of Roanoke
- Four counts of attempted murder in the first degree
- One count of use of a firearm while committing or attempting to commit murder for the remaining four victims
About an hour and a half later, Flint went live on Facebook claiming his innocence and stating that he was going to turn himself in. During the last 20 seconds of the video, officers can be seen approaching Flint before the clip shuts off:
The entire video is about five minutes long and has been shared more than two hundred times across a myriad of community pages. Trigger warning, this video contains vulgar language.
At about 11 p.m., the Blacksburg Police Department announced Flint’s arrest, saying he was in police custody.
According to Blacksburg Police, this remains an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Blacksburg Police Department at 540-443-1400. You can remain anonymous by calling the Blacksburg Police Tip Line at 540-961-1819 or by emailing ciu@blacksburg.gov.
UPDATE (2/5/2022 at 3:32 p.m.)
The person who lost his life in a shooting at a Blacksburg Hookah lounge was a Patrick Henry High School student, according to school officials.
Four others were also hospitalized following the shooting that happened at Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg on Friday night.
At this time, the student has not been identified. Roanoke City Public Schools posted the following statement on its Facebook page at about 3:30 p.m on Saturday:
We are saddened by the death of a member of our Patrick Henry High School family. Our thoughts are with all those who are grieving. We understand many in our community may have feelings of grief, loss, anger, or fear and encourage you to reach out for support.
Roanoke City Public Schools counselors are here to support our school community. They will be available on Monday at both Patrick Henry and William Fleming High Schools from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for any students and staff who need support. We will also have counseling available through Teams. Additionally, there are resources on the Quick Links of the Roanoke City Public Schools’ website under Resources for Parents and Guardians. These resources will assist families should they need to have conversations about grief with their child. Immediate support is also available by calling Carilion CONNECT at (540) 981.8181.
We are here to support our RCPS family and hope the community will join us in respecting the privacy of the family as they grieve.
Roanoke City Public Schools
While no identifying information of any of the five victims has been released at this time, one of the hospitalized victims is a Virginia Tech student, according to the university.
In addition, The student is out of surgery, recovering and doing well, parents told university officials.
Officials released the following statement on Saturday afternoon:
I am sharing a brief update regarding our student who was injured last night.
We have been in contact with his family, and they report their son is out of surgery, recovering, and seems to be doing well. We continue to respect the privacy of the student, and we are grateful for the outpouring of care and support directed to him.
Our Dean of Students office, Cook Counseling Center, Hokie Wellness, and Housing and Residence Life teams are working to support the community.
We can rarely control the challenges life brings our way, but our response is very much in our hands. I am proud of our community and grateful how we pull together in difficult moments.
Frank Shushok Jr., vice president of Student Affairs
Police said that the severity of the injuries of the three other people taken to the hospital is unknown at this time.
Police said they’re investigating Friday night’s shooting that happened at Melody Hookah Lounge as a homicide.
Late Saturday morning, the establishment made the following post on Facebook:
We are deeply hurt and devastated of what happened Friday night, our condolences go to the families and friends of everyone who were affected. Moving foward we will add more precautions and regulations in place for this types of situations.
Melody Hookah Lounge
Management from Melody Hookah Lounge told 10 News that going forward, general precautions will be added that may include outdoor cameras as well as other safety precautions.
Below is an 8:35 a.m. update from Lindsey Kennett and Kortney Lockey:
Just before 6 a.m., Virginia Tech President Dr. Tim Sands released this statement about the shooting:
Dear members of the Virginia Tech community,
Shortly before midnight last night, Blacksburg Police responded to a report of shots fired at the Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg. The Blacksburg Police Department has released a statement that one person was killed; four others were injured, one of whom was a Virginia Tech student. At this time, the names of the victims have not been released. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased and we extend our support to those who were injured.
Events like this are difficult and unsettling to all of us. Please care for yourself and seek assistance if you need it. Campus resources are listed below. Our community is strong, and our strength is derived from our genuine care and concern for one another.
Blacksburg Police are leading this ongoing investigation and we are assisting. If you have information about this case, please contact the Blacksburg Police Department at (540) 443-1400 or you can remain anonymous by calling the Blacksburg Police Tip Line at (540) 961-1819 or by emailing ciu@blacksburg.gov.
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands
On Saturday morning, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, who represents Virginia, posted this tweet about the shooting.
Incredibly saddened to see another act of gun violence in the Commonwealth this week. My heart is with the people of Blacksburg and the entire Virginia Tech community.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) February 5, 2022
ORIGINAL STORY
Multiple people are in the hospital after a shooting in downtown Blacksburg on Friday night, according to the Blacksburg Police Department.
Police did not provide an exact number of how many people were hospitalized or the severity of their injuries.
Police have also not released any information about any suspects or arrests in connection with the shooting.
At about 8:20 a.m., North Main Street reopened after the block between Roanoke Street and Jackson Street was closed for multiple hours.
At 11:53 p.m. Friday, police responded to the Melody Hookah Lounge on North Main Street for a report of shots fired.
Five minutes later, Virginia Tech issued an alert that there was a person with a gun in the area of West Roanoke Street and Draper Road and advised people to stay inside, secure doors and call 911 for help.
At 2:08 a.m., the Blacksburg police department announced that multiple individuals were taken from the scene to area hospitals and that multiple law enforcement agencies are assisting in the area and following up on leads.
An hour and 10 minutes later, at 3:18 a.m., Virginia Tech lifted its secure in place order, although authorities advised people to continue to avoid downtown Blacksburg.
This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Blacksburg Police Department at 540-443-1400 or you can remain anonymous by calling the Blacksburg Police Tip Line at (540) 961-1819 or by emailing ciu@blacksburg.gov.
Stay with 10 News for more on this breaking story.