A 16-year-old employee of Wendy's restaurant in United States' Massachusetts was shot in the shoulder after a customer received wrong-sized drink, according to a report in WLWT. The incident took place at the restaurant's drive-thru on Tuesday, the outlet further said. The police responded to the shooting at the fast-food restaurant in Lynn shortly before 6pm. The employee is recovering at a local hospital after being rushed there with non-life-threatening injuries. The police are, meanwhile, searching for the suspect.
Videos that have appeared on social media show shattered glass at the drive-thru window and a bullet hole on the opposite side.
"It's so crazy because it must be just a kid trying to stay out of trouble, trying to work. It's just a very sad situation, such a young age," Yamil Cepeda, who lives nearby, told Boston 25 News.
About a dozen police officers reached the restaurant and closed it for hours as the investigation continued, Fox News reported. The entrance to the restaurant on Boston Road was blocked by police vehicles.
The police said there was some dispute at the drive-thru window, which led to the shooting, the outlet further said.
Another 17-year-old employee was grazed by a bullet but did not require medical attention, WLWT said. A friend of the teenager said the customer opened fire after not getting what he ordered.
"He ordered a large, he got a small, he came back around and shot," the friend said, without revealing her identity. "It's a neighbourhood and it's a busy area, and there's kids walking by left and right. Can't do that, just can't do that."
Wendy's, meanwhile, released a statement in which they condemned the "senseless violence".
"We are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly in this situation. We will work with local law enforcement as they continue their investigation. Our number one priority is the safety of our employees and customers," the restaurant said in the written statement.
