Police were summoned to the Golden Corral on Skibo Road in Fayetteville, NC, after multiple patrons began fighting inside the restaurant, officials said.
Fayetteville Police Department photo
Lunch turned chaotic at a Golden Corral steak house when multiple customers started fighting, and a woman abruptly died, according to North Carolina investigators.
It happened around 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Golden Corral on Skibo Road in Fayetteville, about a 65-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.
“Preliminary findings indicate that a physical altercation involving multiple individuals occurred inside the establishment. At this time, investigators have not confirmed whether any shots were fired during the incident,” Fayetteville police said in a news release.
“Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive adult female and immediately initiated life-saving measures. She was transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where she was tragically pronounced deceased.”
Investigators initially said the woman “suffered a medical emergency unrelated to the initial altercation.”
The Chief Medical Examiner is working to determine the “official cause and manner” of the woman’s death. Her identity has not been released.
“Detectives are actively working to establish the sequence of events,” police said. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
Police did not report making arrests at the restaurant and have not said what started the fighting.
This story was originally published September 4, 2026 at 4:57 PM.
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.
Dining and Cooking