CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man killed inside a Taco Bell early Wednesday was an armed robber shot in self-defense, the fast-food restaurant owner said.

Arthur Giles, one of the owners of the Taco Bell on West 117th Street in the city's Edgewater neighborhood, said police have not told the owners exactly who shot the robber.

"Everyone at the store is okay, from my understanding," Giles said. "All the employees and all the customers are safe."

Officials have not yet identified the robber who died. Cleveland police have not released additional details about the shooting.

Police dispatch records say two armed robbers with bandanas around their faces walked into the restaurant about 2:45 a.m. They tried to rob the store, but one of the robbers was shot in the ribs, according to police dispatch records.

Employees told dispatchers someone fired shots, and that one of the robbers ended up on the ground.

The employees would not tell the dispatchers why the shooter ended up on the ground and said they would talk to police officers when they arrived, police dispatch records say.

Police officers arrived and found the robber unconscious on the ground with a faint pulse, dispatch reports say.

An ambulance took him to MetroHealth, where he died. The other armed robber ran east on Franklin Boulevard, according to dispatch reports.

Employees then told police that the shooting was accidental, but police detectives are investigating exactly what happened, according to Giles and police.

Giles said he's been part of a group that owns the Taco Bell since 1999 and they have never had a fatal shooting at the restaurant.

A Taco Bell spokeswoman said in an emailed statement that the company is "shocked" that the shooting happened at the restaurant. The company is offering counseling to store employees.

"Our franchisee is fully cooperating with the Cleveland Police Department in their investigation," the statement says. "The employees are very shaken up from today's events, and our franchisee is offering them counseling."

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