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Arrest made in connection with deadly Bloomington restaurant shooting

The suspect, a 47-year-old man, has not yet been charged.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Police report an arrest has been made in connection with Wednesday's deadly shooting that happened inside a Bloomington restaurant.

In a statement from the Bloomington Police Department Thursday, officials said early leads from witnesses led them to the suspect, who was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Thursday in Oklahoma.

The suspected shooter, a 47-year-old man, has not yet been charged.

The shooting happened around 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Co Tu Oriental Cuisine restaurant in a strip mall at West 89th Street and Penn Avenue South. A witness said he was sitting at a table inside the restaurant when he heard a gunshot outside.

An "older" man wearing an “old man” mask and carrying a handgun entered the restaurant. Customers immediately began fighting the gunman and one gunshot went off, according to the witness.

Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said the customers were able to fight off the gunman and push him outside twice. But then he came back in the restaurant and shot a 49-year-old customer and 25-year-old server.

The customer died from getting shot "it appeared multiple times in the mid-section," said Chief Hodges during a news conference.

The server was taken to the hospital after getting shot in the leg and buttocks and is expected to survive.

The witness told KARE 11 that he fought with the man but eventually stopped and ran out of the restaurant.

“First thought was this guy is crazy, get the gun away from him. Second thought was I can’t fight him, get the heck out of there,” the witness told KARE 11.

The witness said as he was running out of the restaurant he heard four to five shots inside the restaurant.

According to the witness, he saw the gunman get into a car and leave.

Chief Hodges says one gun was found inside the restaurant.

The BPD says additional details will be released Monday.

This is a developing story. KARE 11 will provide more details as new information becomes available.

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