One male customer at a restaurant in Tochigi Prefecture was seriously injured in a shooting early Sunday. The gunman remains at large, police said, reports NHK (July 21).

At around 2:30 a.m., the gunman struck the victim, aged in his 40s, in the abdomen with at least one bullet during a dispute inside the izakaya restaurant, located in the Asahicho area.

The victim was transported to a hospital in a conscious state. However, his condition is considered serious, the Tochigi Police Station said.

Prior to the incident, the gunman and victim were part of a group of four or five persons that arrived at the restaurant. Afterward, the gunman, believed to be in his 40s or 50s, fled the izakaya, which is located about 1 kilometer from JR Tochigi Station.

The incident, which took place after the group got into a dispute, is believed to have been the result of a problem within a criminal syndicate, police said.

Police are seeking the whereabouts of the gunman on suspicion of attempted murder.

Source: ANNnewsCH