Suspect in Blacksburg hookah lounge killing will face jury trial

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - The suspect in a Blacksburg homicide will face a jury trial, as determined during a hearing April 17.

Jamel Flint is charged with six felonies, including the first-degree murder of 18-year-old Isiah Robinson.

Police say Flint went to the Melody Hookah Bar in downtown Blacksburg and opened fire February 4, 2022. He turned himself in to police the next day. Flint has been in the Western Virginia Regional Jail ever since.

During a September 2022 preliminary hearing, witnesses recalled the events from the night of the shooting.

According to Blacksburg Police Detective Ryan Hite, Flint never admitted to police that he fired the gun, but said during an interview, “I can’t say that I didn’t do it.”

At his motions hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court April 17, the defense requested that photos showing Flint with a firearm not be included in the prosecution’s evidence. The motion was denied.

Trial has been set for September 11 and 12.

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