New York: Customer who shot McDonald's worker over cold fries charged; public outrage rages on

A customer shot a McDonald's employee in the neck following a dispute over cold french fries in New York, leaving him fighting for his life. On Monday night, a woman in her 40s complained that the fries she had received were cold while Matthew Webb, 23, was working there.

During the confrontation, the customer was in a video conversation with her 20-year-old son. The son quickly arrived at the McDonald's and started yelling at the worker. After the argument outside the restaurant erupted into violence, the customer's son allegedly shot Webb in the neck with a 9mm revolver.

Also read: McDonald's reopens in Russia as 'Vkusno i tochka'

The worker was rushed to the Brookdale hospital, where he is still in serious condition. Michael Morgan, the alleged shooter, was apprehended after he left the scene. According to unidentified sources cited by the New York Daily News, Morgan has a history of 12 prior arrests.

"Michael Morgan, 20, has been charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting of a McDonald’s worker in Brooklyn," wrote NYPD Commissoner Keechant Sewell on Twitter.  

"As @NYPDDetectives remain dedicated to providing justice, they need your help. If you have information on crimes, call #800577TIPS," the tweet added.

According to reports, the suspect's mother told the police that although she heard the shot, she did not witness the incident.

"She must have been in shock because she was giving out all the information about what happened," a vendor present at the scene of the shooting told the daily. "She admitted that she called her son."

"I feel like crying. You shot someone over french fries?" a witness told the New York Post.

Also read: Burger King trolls McDonald's for 'copying' chilli cheese bites

Another witness added, "The co-workers, they were around [the victim]. They were on their phones, and they were crying." Eyewitnesses said that after the gunshot, a man put his shirt over the victim's neck to try to stem the bleeding.

"He couldn't talk. He was just shaking. His chest was heaving. He was still breathing when they put him on the stretcher," one witness stated.

The workforce at the McDonald's store claims that security was "reduced" in June without providing any justification. A 23-year-old McDonald's employee was critically hurt earlier in March after being repeatedly attacked by a Manhattan box cutter.

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked massive public outrage on social media platforms. Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter: