Yusuf Ozgur, a 56-year-old man of Turkish-American descent, was working as a DoorDash driver on the early morning of December 26, 2019, in Manassas, Virginia. In an act of simple courtesy, he held the door open for two men exiting a Denny's restaurant, tragically unaware that they had just committed an armed robbery inside and had shot a patron. As the men exited, one struck Ozgur in the head with a baton, and the other fatally shot him.
Ozgur, a handyman who was working a side job to provide for his family, was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He left behind a wife and two children.
The two men, later identified as Jordan Anderson and Ryan Thomas Walker, had entered the Denny's armed with a handgun and a baton, demanding valuables from the approximately 20 employees and customers. During the course of the robbery, they shot and wounded a 34-year-old man who was expected to survive. They fled the scene without taking any money or property. The police investigation, aided by forensic evidence and numerous tips from the public, quickly led them to the suspects. Investigators also linked Anderson and Walker to a string of other recent armed robberies in the area.
Within days, both suspects were apprehended. Jordan Anderson, 22, of Manassas, was identified as the shooter and was arrested in Fairfax County. Ryan Thomas Walker, 22, of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Anderson was subsequently charged with murder, malicious wounding, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
In September 2022, Jordan Anderson went on trial. During the emotional 10-day trial, witnesses recounted the terrifying events of that morning. After being found guilty on 45 felony counts, including second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, and seventeen counts of abduction for pecuniary benefit, a judge sentenced Anderson to 87 years in prison. Ryan Thomas Walker was also charged with murder, malicious wounding, and robbery and was awaiting his court proceedings.
