Maurice Hopkins faces federal charges after authorities said he made racial remarks at Zämbies Pizza in NoDa and then returned with a gun.
Security cameras at the eatery captured the incident which helped police and the FBI build a case against Hopkins, who is accused of threatening eight people in June.
Hopkins was in the restaurant and made racial remarks to a group of Indian customers and said he “had something for them,” and that he was going to “get his (AR-15).”
He was charged with federal civil rights and firearms violations.
“It’s always like that. They aren’t hurting anybody,” said Lal Vishin, president of the India Association of Charlotte.
Vishin said he heard about this incident and isn’t surprised by the racism.
Most recently, he said his niece who was running for a local school board was targeted.
“She actually went a neighborhood next to her, handing out her flyers, and she was chased with a gun and (the person) said, ‘You don’t belong here,’” Vishin said.
There is hope, he said after the FBI contacted him.
“They are seeing more and more hate crimes, and they wanted to see what they could do and how we could partner with them to help our community and hopefully address the larger issue,” Vishin said.
LaShawnda Becoats works across the street from Zämbies and believes this type of crime is an isolated incident and hopes it won’t happen again.
“This is a safe community,” she said. “We want people to come here. We want people to feel as if they can come here and be safe.”
Hopkins is scheduled to face a federal judge next week.
He could face 10 years in prison on each civil rights charge if convicted.
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