COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — An argument led to a customer shooting an employee at Santiago’s restaurant in Commerce City on Thursday afternoon, police said.

The restaurant is located on East 72nd Avenue and U.S. 85. Police asked people to avoid the area as they searched for the suspect and continued to investigate the scene.

Police believe they have identified the suspect and have leads on where he may be, and they were using dogs, drones and other equipment to track him Thursday night. The suspect has had interactions with police in the past, a Commerce City Police Department spokesperson said.

The victim, an employee, was described as a 15-year-old teenager. It is not known how many times the victim was shot.

On Friday morning, Commerce City police said both individuals fired a gun, but it is not known if the suspect was injured.

“We don’t know if these two individuals knew each other or if this was an argument or a random shooting,” said Joanna Small, police spokesperson. “That’s terrifying if somebody is willing to pull out a gun to solve an argument.”

The suspect arrived at the restaurant in a vehicle that police have since located, but the suspect was not inside.

CCPD said the driver pulled over after leaving the restaurant and called 911. The man then exited the car and fled on foot.

Police said a teenage employee at Santiago's in Commerce City got in an argument with an adult customer. The customer left in this vehicle, which was damaged during the shooting, police said. (Credit: Commerce City Police Department)
Police said a teenage employee at Santiago’s in Commerce City got in an argument with an adult customer. The customer left in this vehicle, which was damaged during the shooting, police said. (Credit: Commerce City Police Department)

Police spoke to a woman who was in that vehicle. They said minors were in the vehicle as well, but none were harmed.

The shooting is believed to have started inside the restaurant around 4 p.m., police said. Outside, multiple shell casings were found.

Initial reports of an active shooter prompted multiple agencies to respond.

Cars were in the drive-thru lane at the time of the shooting and at least one other employee was inside the restaurant. Police are not aware of any other injuries.

According to police, they have identified the customer but have not been able to locate him. Officers would like to speak to him as well as any witnesses. Those willing to speak can contact Detective Sergeant Aragon directly at 303-727-3901.

FOX31’s Shaul Turner contributed to this report.