It was a terrifying late-night robbery at a Pizza Hut in Gastonia, North Carolina, back on October 7, and now police are leaning on the public and some high-tech video tools to unravel the facts in this social media mess.
It occurred right before midnight at the location on 2609 South New Hope Road. The location, fully decorated with pumpkins and bats for the upcoming Halloween, was already slowing down for the night. You can see from the surveillance cams this guy stroll in about 11 p.m., hit the bathroom probably casing the joint or getting ready, then pop back out a bit later.
A tweet from X.
He comes back, all masked up, in this black and red True Religion hoodie, black pants, and these red shoes. He pulls out what looks to be a rifle and goes straight to the counter, pointing it at the worker there. WBTV reported he asked them to open the register, he snatched maybe $300 to $350 in cash, and grabbed food and a drink from the cooler before bolting on foot. The employee did what they had to, and luckily, nobody got injured, but man, that must have rattled everyone working. Police are calling it a classic armed robbery, just out for the money.
Fast forward to November 5, and the Gastonia Police Department drops this combined bodycam and surveillance video online to drum up tips. It’s about a minute long, showing the whole thing from his entry at 11:46 p.m., the hold-up, and him dipping out quick. You can even spot those caution signs on the floor in the footage.
Spokesperson Officer Bill McGinty laid it out in interviews:
“The guy first came in to use the bathroom, likely scoping things out. Then he shows up again about 45 minutes later with a long gun.”
Still hunting as of today, November 9 no arrests yet.
WBTV, WCCB Charlotte, and Yahoo News are among the news outlets touting this story, begging people to check the video for any leads.
“No arrest announced so far,”
WBTV pointed out, really pushing for folks to step up.
The clip made its way to crime-watch accounts on X, and the comments? All over the place. Some people worried about late-shift workers’ safety, others argued over whether it was a handgun or rifle, and a few even geeked out on the Halloween decor in the background.
Of course, some replies went off the rails with dumb stereotypes, throwing in racial junk and weapon debates. Posted by those crime-sharing pages, it just stirred up the usual online nonsense, showing how fast a simple story can get twisted.
Stuff like this reminds you how exposed service folks are, especially in spots like Gastonia where armed thefts pop up now and then. FBI crime stats back that up retail robberies often hinge on tips and video to crack ’em, so the community’s gotta pitch in.
If you’ve got any info, hit up Gastonia Police at 704-861-8000 or the detectives at 704-866-6702. Could make a real difference in wrapping this up.
