Police: Angry patron opens fire in restaurant, wounds worker
A man eating dinner at a Tioga fast-food restaurant who became enraged because an employee was cleaning tables nearby pulled a gun Sunday and shot another worker, who had tried to calm him, police said.
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A man eating dinner at a Tioga fast-food restaurant who became enraged because an employee was cleaning tables nearby pulled a gun Sunday and shot another worker, who had tried to calm him, police said.
The incident happened at 5:30 p.m. at the Church's Chicken at 3650 N. Broad St.
The customer began arguing with a 21-year-old employee as he cleaned tables, police said. When another employee, the table cleaner's brother, "attempted to squash the argument between both parties, the offender produced a large handgun and fired," hitting the would-be peacemaker several times, Police Capt. Nicholas Brown said.
"He was doing his job, but the guy kept saying: 'Yo, you can't be doing this spraying, this spraying. I got to eat. I got to eat,' " Keith Parker, who saw the incident, told reporters at the scene. "Bam, bam, bam, and the person he wanted to shoot, he didn't shoot."
The gunman then pocketed his gun and strolled south on Broad Street, police said. He was described as a black man in his late 50s, wearing a black trench coat, black pants, black Fedora, black gloves, and glasses.
The victim, 19, was taken to Temple University Hospital with gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach, police said. He was listed in stable condition after surgery.
Police released surveillance video of the gunman and asked for the public's help to identify him. Tipsters are urged to call Northwest Detectives at 215-686-3353.