Local News

Raleigh man charged in pizzeria owner's death

Raleigh police arrested a 43-year-old man Friday and charged him with murder in the Thursday night shooting death of a pizzeria owner.

Posted Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh police arrested a 43-year-old man Friday and charged him with murder in the Thursday night shooting death of a pizzeria owner.

Police arrested William Damieon Edwards at his home, 7308 Great Laurel Drive.  He is accused of shooting NY Style Pizza owner Jay Waheed Ammeri, 36, inside the restaurant at 7440 Louisburg Road. 

Authorities say customers and employees were inside the store when the shooting occurred shortly after 8 p.m. 

Sam Sharif, a long-time friend of Ammeri and his family, said his father, wife and children saw the shooting happen.

“A person walked in (and) said, ‘Who is the owner?’ (and) boom, shot him right in the chest,” Sharif said.

Emergency crews took Ammeri to WakeMed Hospital, where he died.

Police said the two men knew each other, but did not elaborate further on their relationship. They did note that Edwards was not a former employee.

Additional suspects are not being sought in the shooting. 

Edwards had two convictions in 2006 for discharging a firearm into property, according to state Department of Correction records.

Homicide investigators were still inside the restaurant early Friday. They also spent 10 to 20 minutes gathering clues inside Nail USA, which is three doors down from NY Style Pizza.

Anyone with information is asked to call Raleigh Crime Stoppers at 919-834-HELP. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.

The Ammeri family has put up a sign saying the restaurant is closed for now.

Kevin Armour said he saw Ammeri, who he knew as “Lucky,” nearly every day.

“If I am not buying pizza, I stop to say hi to him,” Armour said.

Armour said he just recently bought Ammeri clothing for his newborn child.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.