New details revealed about fatal shooting at North Hills restaurant
Editor’s note: This story contains reporting about a suicide, which may be disturbing to some readers.
Nearly three months after a fatal shooting at a North Hills restaurant, a newly released report has shed new light on the incident.
George Colom Jr., 34, opened fire inside Coquette Brasserie during a staff meeting just before 11 a.m. Jan. 17, fatally wounding Jonathan Mark Schaffer, 26, The News & Observer previously reported. Colom also struck Jonathan Aguilar Vega, 24, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, before turning the gun on himself. He died two days later.
Raleigh police released initial details in the days after. A new report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released Wednesday to The News & Observer offers more details.
What we know about shooter
Colom, of Carrboro, had a long career in the Triangle area food industry and worked as Coquette’s executive chef, The N&O previously reported. His social media indicated he started at the restaurant in October.
Schaffer had worked as a manager with Urban Food Group, which owns the restaurant, since February 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Vega said in an interview with WRAL that Coquette staff were in a meeting when Colom started shooting. He wasn’t aware of any possible motive at the time.
Court records showed Colom had several previous convictions involving firearms, including a federal conviction in 2011 of possessing a stolen firearm in New Mexico. He wasn’t allowed to possess firearms due to prior convictions for receiving stolen property and stealing an automobile, The N&O reported.
Colom’s LinkedIn indicated he moved to Chapel Hill in 2017. Three days before the shooting, he pleaded guilty in Orange County court to leaving the scene of a car accident that caused property damage, according to court records.
Coquette raised $29,135 on Gofundme to support its employees and reopened a week after the shooting.
“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our Raleigh community and are grateful for it,” the restaurant said in a Facebook statement.
Colom’s father, George Colom Sr., told media outlets his family needed privacy.
“My family is saddened by the loss of Mr. Schaffer and we grieve for his family,” he said. “We also share the pain with Mr. Aguilar ... We just want to bury our son in peace. No further questions or comments will be addressed.”
What investigative report says
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigates all deaths tied to violence or injury and creates initial investigative reports. The N&O received its Jan. 31 investigative report in Colom’s death.
Colom died at 1:02 a.m. Jan. 19 from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the report. His heart, liver, kidneys, upper and lower long bones, skin, cartilage and pericardium were donated.
During the meeting, Colom pulled out a .40-caliber handgun and shot another coworker multiple times before shooting himself, the report states.
“Prior to shooting himself, [Colom] advised another coworker (the last person beside [Colom] still in the restaurant) to leave the restaurant, and shortly after a single gunshot was heard,” the report states.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from a disagreement between Colom and another employee about a woman, according to the report.
Colom also sent text messages “describing his intent” before the shooting, the report states. It wasn’t clear whom he allegedly texted, and the Raleigh Police Department had not responded as of Wednesday afternoon to clarifying questions from The N&O.
Eight spent casings and two .40-caliber handguns were found at the crime scene, though only one had been fired, according to the report, which doesn’t state where the guns were located or if they both belonged to Colom.
Colom didn’t have a history of suicidal ideation, the report states.
According to his obituary, Colom was born at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, California, before spending his “formative years” in Hubert in Onslow County. He graduated from high school in New Mexico.
“After facing significant challenges in his early adult life, George discovered his true passion for cooking,” the obituary states.
This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 4:21 PM.
