Man Stabbed to Death After Argument Over Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

A Maryland man was stabbed to death on Monday in a fight linked to a Popeyes chicken sandwich, CBS Baltimore reports. The stabbings happened outside one of the fast food chain's restaurants in a town outside of Washington D.C. in Prince George County, police said. The fight involved two men who were in line for the release of a new chicken sandwich when it appeared that one of the men may have cut in line in front of the other, Prince George County Police spokesperson Jennifer Donelan said.

"We have been able to determine that preliminarily that this is related to the release of the sandwich here at this restaurant," Donelan said. "This individual was in line specifically for the sale of the sandwich when another customer and he got into an altercation and that ended with the victim being stabbed outside of the business."

While there is an ongoing investigation into the suspect's identity, police are hoping he turns himself in. "We are looking for a male, and that male knows who he is," a Prince George's County PD representative said, according to Delish. "He knows what he did here tonight, and he needs to do the right thing and he needs to step up and turn himself in."

Officers responded to a report of a fight at the scene when they found a 28-year-old man in the parking lot with multiple stab wounds. The man was taken to an area hospital where he later died, police said.

In a statement to Ad Age, Popeyes said it was saddened to hear about the death. "We do not yet know whether this was the result of a dispute over one of our products or something unrelated, but there is no reason for someone to lose their life on a Monday night in a parking lot. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and friends, and we are fully cooperating with local authorities."

In another statement published by Delish, the chain said that it is working with authorities throughout the investigation. "What happened in Maryland last night is a tragedy and we are saddened to hear about this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and friends," a Popeyes spokesperson said. "We, along with the franchisee, are fully cooperating with local authorities and actively working to gather more information."

Popeyes re-released its popular spicy chicken sandwich last weekend for National Sandwich Day after it quickly sold out nationwide over the summer, making headlines in the process. Since the sandwich made its debut in August, social media has been swamped by positive reviews by customers.

In the midst of the sandwich's truth, Popeyes customers have been reporting hour-plus wait times to buy the sandwich.