An innocent bystander was shot Wednesday morning when an argument among Waffle House customers turned violent, officials said.
The argument started as a group of people were waiting for their takeout orders at a location on Courtland Street in downtown Atlanta, according to a spokeswoman for Waffle House.
Njeri Boss, the director of public relations for the short-order chain, said a grill operator made everyone leave the restaurant.
“The alleged shooter got into his vehicle and then drove against traffic, shooting at what appears to be the vehicles of the people who he was involved in the argument (with),” Boss told AJC.com.
Instead, the bullets hit the building and injured the bystander, she said. Emergency responders were called to the restaurant about 3:15 a.m.
Atlanta police confirmed that the victim, a 58-year-old man, was not involved in the initial argument. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital Wednesday morning and was said to be stable, according to police.
“He was outside the restaurant, and then once he was hit, he fell into the restaurant seeking help,” Boss said.
No suspects are in custody, a police spokesman said Wednesday morning.
Boss said she is grateful no Waffle House employees were hurt. No one was dining at the restaurant at the time, she said.
The location planned to open later Wednesday after undergoing a thorough cleaning.
The shooting was the second Atlanta police investigated on Courtland Street overnight. An employee at the Hilton Atlanta hotel was shot by a guest about 2:15 a.m., according to investigators.
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The employee was stable, and the shooter was in custody, police said.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
