"He kidnapped my friend and put the gun to his head," said Ramanzan Yabuz, PizzAmerica manager. "And I thought, I didnt want to take any chances. I don't want to risk anyone's health or life. So, he [the suspect] just came through this way and we heard the gunshot."
The employee was shot in the arm but is expected to recover. And while initial reports indicated he and the suspect struggled, it was later determined there was no confrontation.
Yabuz believes the would-be robber accidentally fired the gun. "He slipped, I think, accidently [and] fired the gun, but my friend was wounded."
No customers were in the store, but three employees were on duty at the time. Two of those employees were in the back of the restaurant during the incident and did not see what happened. They ran to the rescue of their co-worker after hearing the gunshot.
Police tell Eyewitness News they are searching for the gunman. Investigators are canvassed nearby neighborhoods and the NC State campus.
Police also say the suspect was unsuccessful in his attempt to rob the restaurant. He did not get away with any cash.
