Pizza Hut employee shoots, kills man attempting to rob store in west Charlotte

A Pizza Hut employee shot and killed a man during an attempted armed robbery after hours at the store early Sunday morning in west Charlotte, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.

Officers were called about 1:38 a.m. to the Pizza Hut located at 3215 Freedom Drive to a report of shooting and arrived to find Michael Renard Grace with a gunshot wound.

Grace was pronounced dead on scene by Medic.

According to police, three people entered the restaurant and were in the process robbing the business when one of the employees fired his own personal handgun at one of the suspects.

Investigators said a handgun was recovered at the scene that was being carried by the robbery suspect at the time he was shot.

The other two robbery suspects fled the scene on foot and have not yet been apprehended.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective. The public can also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the Crime Stoppers mobile app website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.