A former employee of the popular Shooters Waterfront restaurant in Fort Lauderdale is facing a murder charge after police said he returned to the eatery Tuesday afternoon and shot and killed a current employee.
The shooting happened around 4:15 p.m. in the patio area of the restaurant in the 3000 block of Northeast 32nd Avenue on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Footage showed a large police presence outside the eatery, and officers were also seen canvassing the surrounding neighborhood, with an armored SWAT vehicle down the street from the restaurant.
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Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials said one man was taken to a local hospital from the scene.
Police later confirmed that the victim died from his injuries. His identity wasn't released.
One witness said he was having lunch at the restaurant when he heard gunfire near the patio area.
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"All the sudden, people just started running from the patio," Jay Rathman said. "The whole place literally emptied out in 30 seconds."
Rathman said he's a frequent customer and a close friend of one of the servers, who told him a former employee showed up at the restaurant and shot a server.
Police confirmed there was an altercation between an employee and a former employee, and that the victim was starting his shift when the shooting happened.
The suspect fled the scene but was taken into custody around 6 p.m., and a gun was recovered, officials said.
Police later identified him as Angel Candelaria, 33, and said he'll be charged with first-degree murder.
"It's a very dangerous situation, dangerous for the people at the restaurant but luckily in this situation we were able to swiftly take him into custody and there is no longer any threat to the community," Fort Lauderdale Police Det. Ali Adamson said.
Candelaria was booked into jail, where he remained held without bond Wednesday, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
Check back with NBC 6 for updates.
