Cops in Massachusetts are on the hunt for a gunman who reportedly opened fire in a crowded hibachi restaurant in Brockton, leaving a young man dead in what police say was a targeted attack.
The victim — Joe Araujo, 22 — was sitting among a crowd of other diners at the Hibachi Supreme Buffet on Crescent Street at about 7:30 p.m. Friday when a hoodie-clad gunman walked up to his booth, pulled a handgun and put at least one round through him at close range, according to CBS News Boston.
The caught-on-camera shooting — which happened only feet from a child who had just sat down at a neighboring booth with a full plate of food — sent other patrons racing for the door.
Although cops say the public does not need to be concerned, officers are on high alert and combing the area in a desperate search for the suspect.
“It’s terrible. I mean, you bring a child out to dinner, and you don’t think something like that is gonna happen,” John Monagle, a Brockton man who often eats at the buffet told the station.
“I’ve never felt unsafe here,” Monagle said, adding that he was surprised by the savage violence.
The owners of neighboring stores at the Massachusetts strip mall told CBS that they’re taking precautions — even if the cops said they’re safe.
“We start to close early,” Jacqueline Macedo, owner of a Brazilian shop next-door told the network. “We have a lot of cameras all [over] the place.”
No arrests have been made, according to NBC Boston.
