A “senseless” fit of rage over too much mayonnaise on a sandwich ended at a Downtown Atlanta Subway with the customer shooting two employees, killing one and leaving another victim in critical condition, according to local media.
Police said around 6:30 p.m., an unidentified male came into the restaurant, ordered a sandwich, and took his anger out on the employees for spreading a disproportionate amount of mayo on the bread.
“He decided to escalate the situation and from there,” store-owner Willie Glen told Fox 5 Atlanta, “that’s when all hell broke loose.”
“Believe it or not, it was about too much mayonnaise on his sandwich.”
Police said the shooter killed a 26-year-old woman and injured a 24-year-old woman whose 5-year-old son witnessed the shooting and will have to undergo trauma counseling. Officials have not released the victims’ names until notifying their families first.
Glenn reportedly told reporters the manager on duty returned fire at the shooter but failed to hit him.
The gunfire also shattered one of the windows in the front of the store.
“It’s really unfortunate,” he said. “There’s just a whole lot of shooting and killing going on, and this was just ridiculous — my heart right now is with my employees.”
Authorities said they received an anonymous tip about the suspect, which led to police arresting a 36-year-old male.
“As we always say, we can’t do it alone,” Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton said at a press conference. “Oftentimes, we rely on the citizens of Atlanta, and that’s what happened yesterday. So, kudos to that individual.”
Hampton told reporters that it’s frustrating the suspect decided to use a firearm to resolve a conflict over a sandwich.
“Yes, it’s a sandwich, but more importantly,” he said. “Someone who failed to resolve a conflict, having a conversation to just re-order a sandwich, decided to take action in his hands — and now we have families who are devastated.”
Hampton said the senseless act of gun owners who don’t make the right decisions frustrates authorities.
“Again, it’s very tragic,” he said. “And more important for me — it’s a 5-year-old that’s going to have to deal with this long term.”