'He's my hero:' Armed customer stops masked gunman who opened fire inside McDonald's

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A masked gunman opened fire inside an Alabama McDonald's restaurant, but he was stopped by an armed customer -- a father who fired back. The gunman later died from his injuries.

The father in this case and one of his children were struck by gunfire. Police said he won't be charged.

"I'm feeling grateful, you know? Wrapping my head around it all. I was just wishing somebody would come wake me up, you know, from this nightmare," said Marcus Washington.

The nightmare could've ended much worse for Washington and his co-workers at the McDonald's on Lawn Avenue.

"I was making two quarter pounders and heard three shots rang, and then exchange of gunfire -- two more," said Washington.

The exchange was between the masked gunman and the armed customer who was leaving the restaurant with his sons at the time. Birmingham police said the masked man started shooting inside the restaurant. That's when the father began shooting at him. Meanwhile, Washington and another employee hid in the freezer.

"I'm, in my mind, imagining everybody's dead. He looking for us," said Washington.

Washington said he and others are thankful the father who fired in this case was there when this happened.

"He's my hero, 'cuz I can only imagine how it would've went if he wasn't armed. You know, might not be having this interview," said Washington.