Two dead and one injured in a shooting at a Rock Hill smoke shop, police say
Two people were killed and another seriously injured in a shooting at a smoke shop Wednesday evening.
Just before 9:45 p.m., Rock Hill police responded to a shots fired call at Budiman’s Smokeshop & Art Gallery on Cherry Road.
While officers were driving to the scene, officers were advised that the possible suspect in this case was a man driving a silver Dodge truck.
When officers pulled up to the smoke shop, they saw the man enter the truck with a gun and drive away. He was driving north on Cherry Road before crashing near the bridge over the Catawba River, according to police.
The suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Zachary East Elias, was then confronted by officers. During the confrontation, officers shot at Elias but did not hit him.
After a brief struggle, Elias was eventually subdued and taken into custody, police said.
Police said a man and a woman were found dead of gunshot wounds at the original scene. Another woman was also found with gunshot wounds and taken to an area hospital for treatment.
According to Rock Hill police, 27-year-old Celci Johnson of Rock Hill was the employee killed, and 49-year-old Emad Thabet Saadalla of Rock Hill was the customer inside the store who was shot.
Police said a second woman inside the store was not injured when she ran out of the store during the incident.
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Channel 9 spoke with a customer who said he entered the smoke shop shortly after the shooting.
One of them said he saw Elias leave the building with an assault rifle, so he went inside to see what happened.
They said they found the three victims and immediately began helping one of them.
“She tried to sit back and relax. I said, ‘No, you have to keep the adrenaline pumping.’ She wanted me to help her apply pressure to her wound, so what I did was take a clean cloth and put it on her chest. I took her hand and told her to apply her own pressure. That keeps you awake and keeps your adrenaline pumping,” the customer said.
Elias has been charged with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He was taken to Rock Hill Jail, police said.
The Rock Hill Police Department said it is still investigating this incident. An internal review is also being completed by the Rock Hill Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division will conduct an independent investigation.
This is a development story. Come back with wsoctv.com for updates.
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