UNION, New Jersey (WABC) — The manhunt continues on Monday for the gunmen in a deadly shooting at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in New Jersey over the weekend.
The incident left one person dead and at least six others injured. The victim who died has been identified as Malek Shepherd, 23, of New York City.
It happened around 9 p.m. Saturday at the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union.
While no arrests have been made, the shooting is believed to be a targeted incident stemming from a drug or gang dispute.
Video appears to show people running away from the restaurant, but it is not yet clear how many gunmen were involved.
Video shows people running away from the restaurant.
Shepherd, who was a customer, is believed to be the target of the shooting and the other victims are believed to be bystanders and/or employees of the Chick-fil-A.
One of the injured victims is a high school student who was working there that night trying to earn money for prom and college.
Her mother says one of her happy places has turned into a lifelong fight against trauma and she is now cringing at the thought of even stepping outside.
Eyewitness News spoke to a father of one of the Chick-fil-A workers on Saturday night. He says that his son called him in a panic, saying that multiple suspects wearing masks entered the establishment. He also says several of his son’s co-workers were injured in the shooting.
Witnesses say they heard at least seven shots piercing into the crowd.
Jean Derilus, a DoorDash driver, said Monday that the masked suspects were behind the counter and firing shots into the dining area.
Derilus said Saturday nights draw a lot of other delivery workers due to the high volume of orders. He said he was in the restaurant 15-20 minutes before the shooting happened.
Longtime customers said they are shaken by the violence.
“That’s what’s terrifying, being a father or a parent, you have to always be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel and make sure that you’re paying attention to your surroundings and try to avoid getting yourself into a situation and unfortunately coming to a Chick-fil-A at dinner time is apparently a situation you may have to avoid now a days,” customer Christopher Devido said.
The other victims were treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office says it is an ongoing investigation.
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