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Warrant issued for suspect in shooting at Edgewood Town Centre Wendy's

Police are searching for a man they say opened fire in the middle of a Wendy's restaurant in the Edgewood Town Centre and shot someone in the chest.

Investigators said Ronald Burton was working at the restaurant when he allegedly pulled out a gun and shot a man in the chest in the middle of the dining room.

Ronald Burton

Burton is an employee at Wendy's and was working at 6:30 p.m. when a 27-year-old man walked in, police said.

The two men had a confrontation. Police said Burton pulled out a gun and shot the man in the middle of the dining room in front of customers -- some of them children.

According to police paperwork, Burton told police, "Look, I was defending myself. Watch the video. I'll just tell you what happened."

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Burton told police that the victim, Andre Johnson Jr., came up behind him and asked if he had a problem with his brother, and Burton said he didn't know the brother.

Detectives said that surveillance video shows both men reaching for their waistbands.

They said Burton pulled out his gun and opened fire before running way.

The police report said Burton admitted to tossing the gun near the Triangle Sub Shop in Swissvale.

He was apparently afraid because he's not allowed to have a gun, as a result of a previous conviction, according to police paperwork.

Burton claimed the gun belongs to his girlfriend. Police still have not found it.

The victim is still hospitalized in critical condition and has not talked to police.

Channel 11 spoke to one prominent attorney Tuesday night who said Burton called his office to seek representation, but then they lost contact.

Burton's whereabouts are still unknown.

This is the fourth shooting at or near a business in the Edgewood Town Center since 2010 -- a statistic that makes shoppers, diners and people who work here uneasy and concerned.

"Maybe some more security cameras, it seems like that's a little bit lacking,” said Noah Azinger, who works in Edgewood Town Centre.

The restaurant closed immediately after the shooting.

"Outta nowhere, I saw two emergency vehicles respond to the Wendy's," said Michael Seifert, who works nearby. "Outta nowhere, probably six more in a matter of five minutes!"

Around 6:30 p.m. Monday evening, police and emergency medical services rushed to this popular Wendy's at Edgewood Town Centre.

Someone from inside called 911 reporting a man had just been shot in the middle of the dining room.

Police said workers and customers watched the whole thing happen just a few feet away from them.

"It's out of the ordinary but there's so many types of situations that are going on where people are just pulling guns out and shooting people and they don't care where they're at, how many people are watching them or anything else," said Robert Payne, Edgewood Police chief.

#BREAKING right now: Police just told me a man walked into this Wendy’s at Edgewood Town Centre and shot another man in the dining room. Workers & customers watched the shooting happen. Victim rushed to Presby. Shooter at large. WATCH WPXI 11 @ 11. Police on scene of reported shooting at Edgewood Town Centre http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/police-on-scene-of-reported-shooting-at-edgewood-town-centre/687850598

Posted by WPXI Mike Holden on Monday, January 22, 2018

Investigators said the man was shot in the stomach one time.

Officers on scene gave him first aid and then medics rushed to him UPMC Presbyterian, where he's said to be in critical condition.

"It's definitely concerning because someone could definitely come into my job if they wanted to shoot somebody," Seifert said.

Detectives spent the better part of the evening canvassing the parking lot and looking inside an SUV, which is believed to belong to the victim.

Workers from the restaurant are left processing what unfolded.

"They're in pretty bad shape, especially the one little girl," Payne said. "Naturally, she's young and, unfortunately, she had to see the whole thing."