RICHMOND, Va. -- Police are investigating after a man was shot in the chest at the Satellite Restaurant in South Richmond early Sunday morning.
Officers were called to the restaurant on the 4000 block of Jefferson Davis Highway at 1:26 a.m. The victim reported being in the bathroom when two men attempted to rob him.
When he told the men he had no money, police said one of them men shot him in the chest.
The victim was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were called not life-threatening.
The suspects then fled the club.
Sylvia Barton, who lives just down the street from the Satellite Restaurant, said the club’s parking and surrounding area is dangerous -- especially when the club lets out in the early morning.
"It's a real rough place. They get real loud at night. You can hear a lot of fighting at night,” said Barton. "I wouldn't walk across that road for love nor money."
Many people who live around the club were not surprised to hear about the shooting.
Bubba Burnett, who has lived nearby for 30 years, said violence on Jefferson Davis Highway has spiked in recent years. But he said the Satellite Restaurant did not always have a bad reputation.
"It was nice back in the day, but it's getting a little rough,” Burnett said.
"It's a decent club in there, but sometimes you may have the crowd in there, you never know,” said Dennis Brewster, who lives down the street.
Many folks who live nearby said they usually see deputies outside the club at night. In fact, some people said they pat down people before they go inside and that there is security inside the facility as well.
"Last time I was in there, they had a whole lot of security,” Brewster explained. .
But the two suspects in Sunday's shooting were able to get in with a gun, which makes neighbors like Barton concerned.
"I have a handicapped son, and if he ever walked across the street, at night he couldn't protect himself,” she said.
A detailed description of the suspects was provided by police. The pair were as black males wearing white t-shirts.
If you have any information that could help investigators, call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
