Raleigh Police have confirmed George Colom, the suspect in the deadly shooting at Coquette restaurant in North Hills, has died.
Police notified the media about Colom's death on Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, Colom's family said he would not survive his injuries.
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George Colom Sr. released a statement on behalf of the family saying:
"My family is saddened by the loss of Mr Schaffer and we grieve for his family. We also share the pain with Mr Aguilar. We are focused on our own son right now and want our privacy respected during this time. My son will soon pass away and We just want to bury our son in peace. No further questions or comments will be addressed."
Colom, the executive chef at the restaurant, opened fire inside the restaurant before turning the gun on himself, according to authorities. He was 34.
The shooting happened around 11 a.m. on Friday, leaving a community in shock.
Colom, was critically injured by a self-inflicted gunshot wound and has been receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
The shooting claimed the life of 26-year-old Jonathan Schaffer, a manager at Coquette, and left server Jonathan Aguilar injured.
Those who knew Schaffer remember him for his kindness and dedication. He had worked at the restaurant for several years, leaving a lasting impression on both his coworkers and customers.
Paul Romano worked as a server and later as a manager at Coquette.
He says that the staff is a close-knit group, and they all reached out to one another after hearing about Friday's shooting.
“We were able to quickly say hey who is working, what do we know. It took time for us to know that it was two or three people that were rather new, that were at odds with one another,” Romano said.
Aguilar, who survived the attack, is recovering from his injuries.
In the wake of the incident, friends, family, and colleagues have come together to support the victims and honor Schaffer’s memory.
Tributes continue to pour in for the 26-year-old, with many describing him as a "kind and beautiful soul."
While the future of the restaurant remains up in the air, Romano's thoughts are with not only the victims, and employees who witnessed the shooting, but also the owners who are having to pick up the pieces.
“They got a staff too to worry about. They definitely worry about their staff," he said. "We always have contentious attitudes towards people that we work for, but at the end of the day, they are good people.”
When contacted by WRAL News, the restaurant’s owners responded by saying "No comment."
A GoFundMe has been created to help support some of the staff members who are out of work for the time being.