On Tuesday night, 33-year-old David Ortiz walked up to the counter and ordered ice cream when a suspect wearing a ski mask shot him.
Atwater Police investigators call the murder shocking. Armando Echevarria with the Atwater Police Department said, "I have never seen something like this so blatant in the middle of a restaurant where there's patrons around."
What is even more troubling, the suspect did not stop with one shot.
Echevarria said, "The victim went down at the time and the assailant continued to fire at the victim before fleeing."
The restaurant manager did not want to speak on camera, but she told Action News the murder appeared to be a targeted killing. She also said police will have a tough time catching whoever killed Ortiz because the suspect wore a mask and made a quick getaway.
Foster's Freeze customer Edward Ramos said families and high school kids normally hang out at the restaurant. "It is shocking yea. It is going to happen anywhere but to know it happened here, where I come a lot, is shocking."
After the shooting several patrons ran from the scene. Investigators want to talk with those people to find any clues. A restaurant employee told Action News their surveillance cameras may have taped the entire crime.
