Rally's homicide suspects worked there

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - The couple charged in a double homicide at a Virginia Beach Rally's were not strangers to the victims in this case.

A statement from Rally's, released Friday afternoon, confirmed Deandre Dunnaway and Cheari Edwards both worked at the Virginia Beach location.

Virginia Beach Police arrested Dunnaway, 22, and Edwards, 19, Thursday night in connection to the deaths of Alphonso White and his younger brother, Michael Johnson.

Dunnaway and Edwards had their first court appearance Friday afternoon. They were both charged with two counts of murder, two counts of armed robbery, three counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and conspiracy, according to Grazia Moyers with the Virginia Beach Police Department.

When the judge asked Dunnaway if he had any questions, he asked, "How much time am I looking at?"

White and Johnson were gunned down at a Rally’s on Lynnhaven Parkway Tuesday. Moyers said the motive behind the deadly shootings was robbery. White worked at the restaurant. According to a co-worker, his brother was there that morning waiting for White to get off from work.

WAVY.com spoke to Johari Williams, the sister of White's fiancee. Williams said Edwards and Dunnaway were  not strangers to the family. She said the couple spent one night at her house and White's mother did not trust Edwards. 

"I didn’t get anything funny from him, but from her, I agreed with Alphonso’s mother," Williams told WAVY.com Friday.

According to Edwards' Facebook page, she is a cashier at Rally's.

The restaurant remains closed following Tuesday's crime.

"We are shocked and devastated by the circumstances of this tragedy. Our hearts are broken for the victims' mother, fiancé, and the rest of their loved ones, and we are grieving as a Rally's family. We continue to fully cooperate with the police in their investigation in any way we can," said Kim Francis, Rally's spokesperson.

Both Dunnaway and Edwards are being held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond. They are scheduled to be back in court for their preliminary hearings on February 22.