Dispute Between Customer, Employee Inside South L.A. Restaurant Ends In Gunbattle

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — What may have been a dispute between a customer and an employee inside a South Los Angeles restaurant ended in a gun battle Monday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The gunfire was reported at about 4:15 p.m. at Carolyn's Kitchen at 853 East Manchester Avenue.

A customer argued with an employee, left, returned with a gun and shot at the worker, who armed himself and fired back, according to the LAPD.

But Tizinski Bailey, who is a cook, had a slightly different account of what happened. He said it started when two customers got into a fight. When he and the other employees tried to break up the brawl, one of the customers left and came back with a gun.

"Started shooting inside the restaurant. As he's shooting, he's backing up. As he's shooting, and he's shooting through the glass and stuff like that. Couple of bullets went passed me. I ducked down," Bailey recounted.

One employee was shot in the stomach, another in the leg. They were said to be stable.

Two men were later arrested when they showed up at a hospital to get treatment for their injuries. Police say they believe the men carjacked a getaway car.