Poppy Bilderbeck
A man was fatally shot by another McDonald's customer after trying to defend staff.
On Saturday (May 4) at around 6:00pm, Houston Police Department received reports of a shooting outside a branch of McDonald's at 8147 Katy Freeway, West Houston.
Police report a customer began shouting at members of staff after having an issue with his order, demanding a refund.
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Fellow customer and associate at a local law firm Jeffrey Limmer was also in the McDonald's at the time and is said to have tried to calm down the customer and de-escalate the situation, however the customer then turned their anger onto him.
The customer and 46-year-old lawyer then reportedly went outside of the fast food restaurant and Limmer pushed the customer who is said to have ended up on the ground.
Detectives report the customer then went to his vehicle - a blue Ford pickup truck - and retrieved a gun, allegedly shooting the lawyer before fleeing the scene in his car.
A friend of Limmer's, Greg Monteverde, told Fox 26 Houston it was like 'a deep gut punch' when he found out about the lawyer's passing.
"I know a lot of us are still in shock," he added.
Limmer's sister, Jennifer Thomas, told Only13: "He loved fiercely. He loved his family and his friends. Always laughing, always making jokes and loving life."
Reflecting on reports Limmer passed away after trying to come to the aid of McDonald's workers, she continued: "Knowing Jeff, he's the one who always says, 'Calm down. It's not that big of a deal,' and divert the situation.
"He's always wanted to fight for the little guy and do the right thing. And he was very staunch in his convictions and was just conservative in his values and his morals.
"He was a good samaritan trying to do the right thing and just not letting those employers in McDonald's have to go through that."
As of reports from Tuesday (May 7) police are still searching for the shooter and have asked anyone with any information about the suspect's identity to contact Crime Stoppers.
You can contact Crime Stoppers USA via 1-800-222-TIPS or send in tips to CSUSA.org.
McDonald's owners/ operators Michael and David Gutierrez told UNILAD: "We are devastated by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the victim and his family. We are offering out full support to law enforcement during their investigation."
UNILAD has contacted Houston Police Department for comment.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.