Wendy's Worker Shot in the Back During 'Dipping Sauce Dispute' in St. Louis

An angry customer shot a Wendy's employee amid a fight over dipping sauce at a drive-thru in St. Louis, FOX2 reported Tuesday. The incident occurred, employees told the outlet, when a man ordered food from the restaurant at the location on National Bridge Avenue at about 1 a.m., asking for extra dipping sauce with his order. When he didn't receive the dipping sauce, he allegedly shot into the restaurant, hitting one employee in the back.

It remains unclear if the man was aiming at the employee or hit them by chance. The victim was reportedly taken to the hospital while conscious and breathing. He is expected to recover, reported FOX2. In photos from the scene shared by reporter Monica Adams, the storefront's shattered glass can be seen, presumably by the gunfire, as police investigated the scene and closed off the area to the public. St. Louis Metropolitan Police are investigating, and no arrests have been made.

A shooting overnight at the Wendy's restaurant at Union and Natural Bridge just after 1am. Police gathering evidence inside the restaurant and outside near a beige SUV. They were taking photos of the front door which was shattered by apparent gunfire. @ksdknews @rhyan_henson pic.twitter.com/RJ1u7W9adn

— Monica Adams (@MonicaAdamsTV) December 22, 2020

Earlier this month, a fatal altercation broke out at another fast food restaurant in Watsonville, California. A 43-year-old man was found unconscious and lying on the ground at a restaurant in the 100 block of Main St., having suffered a severe head injury, Newsweek reported at the time. The unidentified victim was taken to a trauma center nearby, where he was treated in the ICU for several days before being transferred to Stanford Hospital, where he was declared brain dead on Dec. 9. An autopsy revealed the man died due to blunt force trauma to the head, police said in a statement about the incident.

After detectives analyzed footage from a nearby surveillance camera in conjunction with the evidence at the scene, Jose Figueroa Gonzalez, 30, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with a physical altercation that resulted in the victim's death. Gonzalez was reportedly arrested on Dec. 9 and booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail. He faces voluntary manslaughter and other assault-related charges but was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail. "We believe this incident was a random act of violence that ended tragically," the Watsonville Police Department said in a statement at the time of his arrest.