EMPORIA, Va. (WRIC) — The owner of an Emporia Chinese food restaurant is dead and an employee is injured after a former employee shot both of them while trying to rob the business on Wednesday evening.
Emporia Police responded to the China Garden Restaurant on W. Atlantic Street at around 8:26 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, for a report of two people shot. When officers entered the restaurant, they found Wie Yang (Jamie) and Te Yang injured with apparent gunshot wounds.
Te Yang, the owner of the restaurant, died on scene. Wie Yang was taken to Bon Secours Hospital in Emporia for treatment.
After investigating, police believe that 43-year-old Shawn Rice, a former employee of China Garden, entered the restaurant while armed with a firearm and tried to rob the business. During this attempted robbery, he shot both victims and then left on foot.
Rice has now been charged with Rice was charged with first degree murder, two counts of use of a firearm while committing or attempting to commit murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, attempted robbery, robbery and malicious wounding.
