2 dead, 2 facing life-threatening injuries following shooting at Martinsville restaurant

MARTINSVILLE, Va.  — Two people are dead and two others are facing serious injuries following a shooting at a Martinsville restaurant.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, an argument began in the bar area of the El Norteno Restaurant between several patrons. The argument quickly developed into an altercation and resulted in a 23-year-old man and a 33-year-old man, both from Martinsville, being shot. The two died at the scene,

A third man who fled the restaurant on foot was pursued by two armed men. When the three reached the parking lot outside the restaurant, the two armed men began to shoot the man. The gunfire from the shooting was overheard by a Martinsville Police Officer on patrol in his vehicle nearby.

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The officer responded to the shooting and approached the men on foot as they were firing at the third male. The officer fired at the two armed men, striking one of them. The two shooters then returned to the restaurant. The third man in the parking lot was not injured during the altercation.

Additional law enforcement responded to the scene to enter and secure the restaurant. Law enforcement rescued approximately a dozen patrons and 20 restaurant employees who were trapped inside with the two shooters.

Inside the restaurant, law enforcement found the two deceased men. An additional man was found nearby. Both wounded men were transported to the hospital and are being treated for life-threatening injuries.

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The names of the two deceased individuals are being withheld until all next of kin are notified. The two deceased were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for examination and autopsy.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the course of the incident.