At least five Kingston Police units and several Frontenac Paramedics ambulances responded to a report of a stabbing at McDonalds on Division St on Friday at around 6:30 p.m.

Witnesses say that prior to police arrival, several employees and some patrons hid from the suspect in the restaurant’s basement, while others exited the restaurant.

Once on scene, police quickly apprehended one male suspect. While some eyewitness reports initially stated that the victim was an employee at the restaurant, those reports were refuted by restaurant administration. Mary O’Neill Howlett, responsible for Human Resources at the local McDonalds franchise, confirmed that the stabbing was an incident involving two patrons. The victim was treated for unspecified injuries by Frontenac Paramedics and transported to hospital by police-escorted ambulance.

“I want to thank Dan and Sean for the outstanding job they did – fast acting and quick thinking to keep all employees and guests safe until police arrived,” said Howlett in a statement to staff obtained by Kingstonist. “We are very proud of all our staff and managers for how they handled the situation.”

The restaurant remained evacuated for several hours as the police investigation continued.

According to Howlett, the victim, who is not a Kingston resident, was released from hospital on Saturday.