PA restaurant owner Mohammed Hamdan arrested for shooting teen who tried to steal tip jar: police

A Pennsylvania restaurant owner was arrested after he allegedly shot a 15-year-old boy who tried to snatch a tip jar from the counter, according to police.

Mohammed Hamdan, 39, allegedly shot the teenager several times on Friday night inside his restaurant, Hook Fish and Chicken in Stowe Township, just north of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Police Department said.

Police had received a report of shots fired around 10 p.m. Moments later, they received another call from the teen’s mother who said her son had been shot several times, according to a police report obtained by WTAE.

The 15-year-old had gone inside the Hook Fish and Chicken restaurant while his brother waited outside, according to police.

The boy approached the counter and Hamdan took his order, surveillance footage shows. The teen then is seen reaching over the counter and grabbing a plastic jar used for tips, cops said.

He turned towards the door as Hamden pulled a handgun from his waistband and allegedly fired at least three shots at the teen, according to the footage and police.

Cameras in the area show the victim running down the sidewalk after being shot, the complaint says.

Hamdan later told investigators that the victim and his brother had come into the restaurant earlier that day and he “expected them to try to steal from him,” according to the police report.

“After reviewing surveillance recordings and speaking with witnesses, detectives found no evidence to suggest the male was armed or threatened Hamdan at any time,” Allegheny County police said in a statement.

The teenager suffered two gunshot wounds to his right forearm and one in the right shoulder blade, which caused a bone fracture, WTAE reported.

He was taken by ambulance to UPMC Children’s Hospital for treatment.

It’s unclear if he will face any charges related to the incident.

Hamden is currently being held at the Allegheny County Jail pending an arraignment hearing.