Suspect in the shooting at S&S Cafeteria on Kingston Pike 9/2/10. Courtesy KPD
The S&S Cafeteria is open Friday, the day after one of their employees was shot in a robbery attempt.
The restaurant manager says all employees showed up to work Friday morning, where they held a prayer vigil for 60-year-old Daniel Charles Giles at 10:30. The restaurant is open today.
The manager says Giles was originally from Ohio, and moved to Knoxville about 3 months ago. He had worked at the S&S for 6 weeks.
The owners of S & S Cafeteria released this statement:
"The family of S&S Cafeterias is terribly saddened by the events that happened last evening at our Knoxville, TN cafeteria. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy go out to Dan Giles' family. S&S Cafeterias does everything within its power to protect all of our employees and our customers and does everything it can to provide a safe workplace and dining environment. We apologize to our customers who were in the dining room at the time of the robbery and thank them for their understanding." - J. A. Smith, III / President of Smith & Sons Foods, Inc.
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A KPD spokesman has confirmed that 60-year-old Daniel Charles Giles of Knoxville has died from a gunshot wound he sustained during a robbery at S&S Cafeteria on Kingston Pike Thursday night.
The police are still searching for the suspect. He is described as a black male 5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 10 inches tall, small to medium build. He was wearing a white shirt over a blue shirt, blue baseball style hat, tan shorts, tennis shoes and white socks.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Crime Hotline at 865-215-7212.
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Authorities were searching for a suspect Thursday night following a shooting at a West Knoxville cafeteria that left a cashier seriously wounded.
The shooting was reported at 7:48 p.m. after a suspect tried to rob the S&S Cafeteria on Kingston Pike, Knoxville police spokesperson Darrell DeBusk said.
The suspect shot the cashier and then fled westbound on foot, DeBusk said. Police were not able to provide a detailed description of the suspect.
The male victim was transported by ambulance to UT Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the chest. His name and condition were not released, but DeBusk said his injuries were life-threatening.
An employee who was in the restaurant at the time of the shooting said she hid in a back room when she heard gunfire.
"I was in the back and they said, 'call 911'! The next thing you know I heard a gunshot and locked myself in the freezer," said employee Samantha Cox.
A customer who was eating inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting said she heard the cashier holler for help.
"All I could see was hands and arms sticking up. About that time, I heard the shot. I got under the table," customer Margaret Kirk explained.
A police helicopter was circling the area of the shooting, but as of 11:00 p.m., no one was in custody.
Stay with 10News for updates as they become available.