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Lynchburg Waffle House shooting suspects appear in court

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A judge certified charges on Friday for the man accused of shooting a Waffle House security guard and injuring another man in April.

Omarian Fitch of Lynchburg is charged with malicious wounding.

For the first time, the two shooting victims spoke in court, and surveillance video taken inside the Waffle House and outside at the time of the shooting was shown.

74-year-old security guard Rosiland Ebelt shared her story from that night.

She recounted forcing a large group out into the parking lot after they began fighting, but not long after Ebelt was hit by a bullet that flew through the window.

Ebelt had to undergo emergency surgery and suffered extensive damage to her mouth.

Law enforcement witnesses were also called to the stand on Friday.

The prosecutor on the case argued you could see Omarian Fitch holding a gun in the surveillance video. The defense attorney argued footage from the night was not clear and other people were wearing similar clothes to Fitch.

The second suspect charged in the case, Shantia Turpin, will have her next court date on Sept. 10 at 10 a.m.


About the Author

Amy Cockerham joined the 10 News team in January 2023.

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