Waffle House employee killed after customer becomes irate, police say

A Waffle House employee was shot and killed after a customer became angry while waiting for his food to be prepared, police said.

The customer became “agitated and verbally abusive” toward employees at a Waffle House in Laurinburg, North Carolina, on Friday night, according to a police statement posted on Facebook.

After the customer was given his food, he started walking toward his car, before turning around and firing two shots, police said.

The man then fled, authorities said. Police are still searching for the suspect.

An 18-year-old Waffle House employee was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the statement said.

This incident follows a number of disputes that have turned fatal at restaurants.

A Subway worker was shot and killed in 2022 after a dispute over too much mayo, authorities said at the time. A McDonald’s employee was also shot in 2020 after telling a customer to leave due to coronavirus restrictions at the time.