Update: Wednesday 5 a.m.
Authorities arrested a man charged with murder in the death of a York County security guard, who was shot early Thanksgiving morning.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office and Newport News Police Department arrested Coleston Ryan Lewis, 26, about 3 a.m. Wednesday in Newport News, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
York County deputies received a tip around 10 p.m. that reported Lewis was in a residence in Newport News. Deputies worked with Newport News officers to arrest Lewis at the residence without further incident.
The Sheriff’s Office named Lewis a suspect in the shooting death of Richard Irvin on Thursday, a few hours after Irvin was killed.
Irvin, 42, was shot shortly before 2 a.m. in the parking lot of the County Grill & Smokehouse in the 1200 block of George Washington Memorial Highway, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dennis Ivey said.
Irvin, a private security guard hired to help with crowd control at a tent party held the night before Thanksgiving, was escorting a man from the party when the man turned around and shot him, Ivey said.
Deputies said the man who shot Irvin ran across the highway, and another armed security guard shot at the man, hitting the window at the Rip’s Food Store.
Deputies obtained warrants charging Lewis with murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony on Thursday afternoon.
Originally: Thursday 6:30 p.m.
Authorities are searching for a man accused of killing a security guard outside a York County restaurant early Thanksgiving morning.
Coleston Ryan Lewis, 26, is wanted for murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with a shooting Thursday in the parking lot of County Grill that killed Richard Irvin, 42, according to Sheriff’s Office reports.
Both directions of George Washington Memorial Highway were shut down from Coventry Boulevard to the Newport News city line for several hours while police searched for the homicide suspect.
The fatal shooting that killed Irvin occurred shortly before 2 a.m. in the parking lot of the County Grill & Smokehouse in the 1200 block of George Washington Memorial Highway, sheriff’s office spokesman Dennis Ivey said.
Irvin, a private security guard, was escorting a man from a tent party in the parking lot of the business when the man turned around and shot him, Ivey said.
The 42-year-old died from his injuries. Police said the man who shot him ran across the highway.
As he was running away, another armed security guard shot at the man and hit the window at the Rip’s Food Store, shattering it.
Ivey said investigators have no reason to believe the suspect was hit by bullets shot by the other security guard.
Hampton attorney and County Grill owner Ron Smith said the grill is busy the night before Thanksgiving and draws large crowds. Irvin was a hired security to help with crowd control.
“It’s never been a problem. We’ve never had trouble — it’s been going on for 22 years,” Smith said.
Smith wasn’t at the restaurant, but his staff told him they were trying to get people to leave around closing time, and the man had been asked to leave. The man pulled out a gun and fired a few times, and Irvin followed him through the parking lot to make sure he didn’t come back, Smith said.
That’s when the man turned around and shot Irvin, the staff told Smith.
“There’s a family that’s got to deal with the fact that they’ve lost a son and a friend, and another family whose son has committed a terrible crime. It’s just sad,” Smith said.
Anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or the Sheriff’s Office Facebook tip line (757) 890-4999.
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