On the eve of Valentine’s Day, a Charlotte lady who won a $150,000 lottery win a few months ago was fatally shot outside a restaurant. Authorities said WCNC that Dionyah Thompson and another male victim were inside a vehicle when a gunman drew up and started fire on them.
After shooting the victims, the suspect, 33-year-old Elie Hugo Noel, turned the pistol on himself. Police further stated that Noel was Thompson’s ex-boyfriend, and that the victims were shot after leaving the Vinyl restaurant. Thompson and the male had gone on a date, according to police. The shooting caused him minor injuries.
The restaurant’s bar manager told the news source that he had no idea what was going on outside the eatery until staff informed him about the incident.
“A customer who was on the patio had seen it,” he said. “They came in in a shock and a panicked state saying somebody had gotten shot and some of my bar staff grabbed me from my office and I dialed 911.”
“As far as I’m aware, everything was good. We’re a pretty casual place,” the manager added. “Nobody expected anything to happen. It was the night before Valentine’s Day. Nobody expects anything to happen.”
In October, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced Thompson had won a $150,000 lottery prize with a $5 scratch-off she bought at a 7-Eleven.