A 46-year-old Texas attorney was shot and killed after trying to de-escalate a dispute between an angry customer and employees at a McDonald’s in Houston. 

Jeffrey Limmer was at the branch on 8147 Katy Freeway on Saturday evening when he intervened to calm a man shouting at staff over his order and demanding a refund.

Witnesses reported that Limmer approached the disgruntled customer to defuse the situation. The customer turned his anger toward Limmer, leading to a physical altercation outside the restaurant. 

Limmer pushed the customer to the ground, and the man got up, went to his car, and retrieved a firearm. The suspect shot Limmer twice before fleeing in an early 2000s blue Ford pickup truck, according to Houston Police detectives. Limmer died at the scene from his injuries.

Limmer’s demeanor or final act of bravery did not surprise family members. His sister, Jennifer Thomas, told the local media, “Jeff was always the one to say, ‘Relax, it’s not that serious,’ and defuse the tension. He consistently stood up for the underdog and did what was right.”

“He’s always wanted to fight for the little guy and do the right thing,” Thomas reiterated. She added that he was a “Good Samaritan who is trying to do the right thing and not letting those employees at McDonald’s go through that.”

Limmer worked as an associate attorney at Lewis Brisbois, a law firm based in Houston. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and the South Texas College of Law. Growing up, he played quarterback on the Memorial High School football team and was an outfielder for the baseball team. Thomas said he lived near McDonald’s and often went there to finish work.

His close friend, Greg Monteverde, told Fox26, “Jeff stepped in to try and de-escalate the situation and calm him down. I thought it was brave. I respect it. Many of us knew Jeff to be that type of individual.” Monteverde also noted, “In school, he would invite somebody who wasn’t the most popular student to a party or things like that.”

In addition to his legal career, Limmer was deeply connected to his faith. He and Monteverde attended the same church since childhood. “He’s in Heaven. He’s looking down on all of us, saying it’s going to be OK,” Monteverde added.

Thomas, his sister, again reflected on her brother’s legacy: “He loved his family and friends fiercely. He was always laughing, making jokes, and just loving life.”

The Houston Police Department has asked anyone with information about the suspect or the vehicle to contact the Homicide Division.