Sources: McDonald’s employee shot in the neck after argument over cold fries in Brooklyn

NEW YORK – A 23-year-old man is in critical condition after police say he was shot on the job at a McDonald’s in Brooklyn.

The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Monday outside the restaurant on Fulton Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge spoke with some of the victim’s co-workers, who described him as a good guy and said they were returning to work Tuesday.

“That something can happen like this over something as simple as food, like it’s crazy,” said one person in the neighborhood.

“He was working, at work, this happened at work? It̵[ads1]7;s kind of sad, because he’s trying to make a living,” another person added.

It started when a customer, who sources told CBS2 was angry that her fries were cold, approached the worker and began arguing with him.

The argument moved outside, and that’s when, according to sources, the woman called over her 20-year-old son to “take care of the problem.” He then pulled out a gun and shot the employee in the neck.

The worker was taken to Brookdale Hospital, and the son was taken into custody.

“I am deeply concerned. My children have come to this McDonald’s over the years and from time to time I have meetings in this McDonald’s,” said Rev. Conrad Tillar. “It’s sad. It shows we’re at a crisis level in this city.”

“My daughter wants to work in fast food. She’s 17 and I’m scared of things like that. It’s terrible,” Alison Mason said. “You can be mad and say, ‘Hey, I didn’t get my order right,’ but to shoot someone?”

Duddridge spoke to a man who works at another fast food joint. He said he’s grateful his boss recently installed a glass barrier, but employees are still scared.

“One of our workers, he called me today, he doesn’t want to work anymore … because of this. They said they were scared,” said Habib Sayed. “That’s why I don’t want to work at night. I told my boss, if you want to pay me $100 an hour, I’m not going to work, because that’s crazy.”

Police said there does not appear to be any prior connection between the employee and the suspect.

Employees at McDonald’s said there is security, but hours were recently reduced.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)or for Spanish, 1-888-57-TRACK (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All conversations are kept confidential.