Robbery, shooting at Kannapolis Sonic over weekend

Published 10:38 am Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office reported two incidents over the weekend occurring at the Sonic Drive-in on North Cannon Boulevard, Kannapolis.

On Saturday, deputies responded to a report of a robbery at knifepoint. The victim reported that he was finishing some paperwork at the manager’s desk at the restaurant at around 1:20 a.m. when someone walked up behind him. He turned around and says he saw a black male wearing a hoodie with a black scarf or similar piece of cloth wrapped around his head and face.

The victim reported that the man was very polite and said he didn’t want to hurt anyone, but would if he had to. The man said he needed $350 to cover his rent. The victim handed over the moneybag, and told deputies that the man left through the front door of the Sonic and walked away.

This incident is still under investigation.

On Sunday, deputies went to the same Sonic Drive-in to investigate reports of a shooting. A man, Tyron Andre Stewart, of the 200 block of Rosemont Avenue, said he was shot at that location. According to the report, Stewart went to his neighbor’s house and asked if someone could give him a ride to Sonic. A man known as “D” allegedly volunteered.

When they got to the restaurant, D’s cell phone rang, and D asked Stewart to answer it. When he reached down to pick up the phone, Stewart told deputies and Kannapolis Police that the passenger side window exploded and he heard gunfire. D and the man left the Sonic and drove north on U.S. 29 toward Landis with the alleged shooter’s vehicle following behind them, according to the report.

D drove Stewart back to Rosemont Avenue and told him to call for help. When deputies arrived at Stewart’s house, they reported seeing a green Crown Victoria in the yard with three side windows and the rear window shot out. Stewart was taken to Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast and was treated for superficial wounds to his face and neck.

When deputies investigated at the Sonic, they were unable to find witnesses to the shooting. However, a cashier at the drive-through reported that she saw two suspicious vehicles circling the building, appearing to chase each other. She said one of them was a large, purple SUV with dark, lifted wheels and the other vehicle was a regular to small-sized red car.

This incident is still under investigation.