Employee charged in shooting at Wendy’s restaurant
A Wendy’s restaurant employee shot a 27-year-old man in the chest during a confrontation Monday inside the Edgewood restaurant — and then called an Allegheny County police detective and told him about it, according to court records.
Police were searching for Ronald Burton, 26, who is chargedwith illegally possessing a firearm and tampering with evidence in connection with the shooting at 6:42 p.m. inside the restaurant in the Edgewood Towne Centre shopping plaza on SouthBraddock Avenue.
The victim, identified in court records as Andre Johnson Jr., was in critical condition Tuesday and had undergone surgery, according to county police.
Surveillance video from the restaurant shows a Wendy’s shift manager seated at a table in the dining area, according to a criminal complaint. Mr. Burton, who was working at the time, walks up to the manager and begins to talk to her.
Mr. Johnson is then seen walking up behind Mr. Burton, who spins around quickly, according to the complaint. Both men reach for their waistbands.
In the video, Mr. Burton is seen pulling a silver handgun from his waistband with his left hand. He racked the slide back, switched the gun to his right hand, and pointed it at Mr. Johnson, who is seen falling to the ground, according to the complaint.
Not long after the shooting, Mr. Burton called county police Detective Michael Hoffman on his cell phone and told the detective he fired in self-defense, according to the complaint.
Mr. Burton told the detective that Mr. Johnson came up behind him and asked if he “had a problem with his brother,” according to the complaint.
Mr. Burton said he told the man he didn’t know who Mr. Johnson’s brother was and
turned to look at him. Mr. Burton said he saw Mr. Johnson reach for a gun in his waistband and pulled his own weapon in self-defense.
He said he fired one shot and then ran, dumping the firearm in a wooded area near a sub shop when he saw a police car and panicked. Police were not able to find the gun, according to the complaint.
Investigators also did not find a firearm on Mr. Johnson, but police have information indicating he may have had a gun, Superintendent Coleman McDonough said.
Wendy’s franchise owner Tim Thompson said Tuesday the company is cooperating with the investigation.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and team members,” he said. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident, especially the victim and his family.”
A “code of conduct” posted on Wendy’s corporate website says employees are prohibited from having firearms on company property, except as authorized by law.
Mr. Burton, who in 2011 pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge, is prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to the criminal complaint.
He told Detective Hoffman that the gun belonged to his girlfriend and that she did not know he had the weapon. He said he took it from her dresser.
Investigators ask that anyone with information on Mr. Burton’s whereabouts call county police at 1-833255-8477.