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| Two customers shot, one fatally, in robbery at a Denny’s restaurant in Manassas | Two customers shot, one fatally, in robbery at a Denny’s restaurant in Manassas |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Yusuf Ozgur couldn’t sleep, so he decided he could help his family make a little bit more money. He got out of bed early Thursday in the middle of the night, opened the DoorDash app on his phone and went to a Denny’s restaurant in Manassas to pick up an order. | |
| When he arrived, two men were leaving, so he held the door for them. | When he arrived, two men were leaving, so he held the door for them. |
| Minutes before, police say, those men had entered the restaurant brandishing weapons and ordered 23 late-night employees and patrons to the ground, demanding cellphones and wallets. A diner was shot despite complying. | Minutes before, police say, those men had entered the restaurant brandishing weapons and ordered 23 late-night employees and patrons to the ground, demanding cellphones and wallets. A diner was shot despite complying. |
| As the robbers left the restaurant, one struck Ozgur over the head with a baton, the other fatally shot him. | As the robbers left the restaurant, one struck Ozgur over the head with a baton, the other fatally shot him. |
| Ozgur, 56, of Manassas, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, police said. The second victim, a 34-year-old man from Rixeyville, Va., was hospitalized with serious injuries. He is expected to survive. | Ozgur, 56, of Manassas, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, police said. The second victim, a 34-year-old man from Rixeyville, Va., was hospitalized with serious injuries. He is expected to survive. |
| “This was a heinous crime,” Prince William County Police Chief Barry M. Barnard said at a news conference Thursday. The robbers opened fire “without any provocation.” | “This was a heinous crime,” Prince William County Police Chief Barry M. Barnard said at a news conference Thursday. The robbers opened fire “without any provocation.” |
| Surveillance video from the restaurant shows two men brandishing a gun and a baton as they enter the 24-hour restaurant at about 2:20 a.m. in dark clothing, with hoods over their hair and masks covering half their faces. | Surveillance video from the restaurant shows two men brandishing a gun and a baton as they enter the 24-hour restaurant at about 2:20 a.m. in dark clothing, with hoods over their hair and masks covering half their faces. |
| As they were about to flee the restaurant, Ozgur, a father of two, was arriving to pick up an order for delivery from DoorDash. Police said he unwittingly held the door open for the two men. | As they were about to flee the restaurant, Ozgur, a father of two, was arriving to pick up an order for delivery from DoorDash. Police said he unwittingly held the door open for the two men. |
| The pair then fled on foot, having taken no money or property from the business, police said. | The pair then fled on foot, having taken no money or property from the business, police said. |
| Ozgur’s wife, who declined to give her name, called her husband “a wonderful, hard-working man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” A family friend spoke of the 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son he leaves behind. Ozgur was a handyman, she said, who delivered food on the side for extra cash. | Ozgur’s wife, who declined to give her name, called her husband “a wonderful, hard-working man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” A family friend spoke of the 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son he leaves behind. Ozgur was a handyman, she said, who delivered food on the side for extra cash. |
| The family implored anyone with information about the crime to come forward. | The family implored anyone with information about the crime to come forward. |
| Barnard said police believe the men who robbed the Denny’s may be responsible for recent robberies at three other nearby businesses: a Bowl America, Comfort Inn and Walgreens. All three robberies happened early in the morning within the past five days. In each, the description of the suspects is similar: two black men in their late teens or early 20s, roughly 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds, with their faces masked. | Barnard said police believe the men who robbed the Denny’s may be responsible for recent robberies at three other nearby businesses: a Bowl America, Comfort Inn and Walgreens. All three robberies happened early in the morning within the past five days. In each, the description of the suspects is similar: two black men in their late teens or early 20s, roughly 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds, with their faces masked. |
| The FBI is assisting in the investigation and offering a $10,000 reward for information. | The FBI is assisting in the investigation and offering a $10,000 reward for information. |
| In an email, Josiah Adams — a spokesman for the Denny’s restaurant chain — said “we are saddened to hear of the incident earlier today at our Manassas, VA restaurant, and our thoughts are with those injured and their families.” | In an email, Josiah Adams — a spokesman for the Denny’s restaurant chain — said “we are saddened to hear of the incident earlier today at our Manassas, VA restaurant, and our thoughts are with those injured and their families.” |
| The statement said that “we are cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation.” | The statement said that “we are cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation.” |
| DoorDash released a statement saying: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones, and we are reaching out to his family to offer our full support during this difficult time. We are in contact with law enforcement and cooperating with their investigation of this horrific crime.” | DoorDash released a statement saying: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones, and we are reaching out to his family to offer our full support during this difficult time. We are in contact with law enforcement and cooperating with their investigation of this horrific crime.” |
| Friends set up a GoFundMe to help Ozgur's family pay for his funeral and other expenses. A memorial service will be held Saturday at the Diaynet Center of America in Lanham, Md. | |
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