A 32-year old black man was murdered in the parking lot of the Winston-Salem BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse by an alleged white supremacist on Tuesday, August 6th.
According to witnesses, Julius Sampson Jr., a husband and father of three, was shot by Robert Granato after a heated dispute between the two. According to reports, the two began arguing inside the restaurant as Sampson was defending a female bartender. The two then continued the argument outside as Granato hurled racial slurs. Granato is said to have shot Sampson soon after, shortly before 4 pm, but police reports state that the 911 were contacted around 3:30 pm. The call was then upgraded to shots fired.
In the press conference that followed the next day, Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson, said they have yet to determine if the killing was racially motivated and that both men used racial epithets.
However, the local newspaper, “The Chronicleâ€, shared a photo of Granato pointing a gun into the camera and said they found other photos and videos of him holding and shooting guns, as well as an image of him displaying the white nationalist symbol on the 22-year old’s Instagram account.
Sampson, who was known as “Juice†throughout the community, was employed at the Supreme Legacy Barbershop located within the Hanes Mall, which the BJ’s is located near. He and his wife, Keyia, had been married a year and shared a 3-year old daughter.
A vigil was held in his honor last Wednesday in the BJ’s parking lot, and a homegoing celebration will be held on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at Union Baptist Church.
If you would like to donate to Sampson’s family, you can do so via this GoFundMe.
