(CNN) Armed bystanders gunned down a shooter Thursday at an Oklahoma City restaurant, killing him, police said.

A man opened fire with a handgun in Louie's Grill & Bar, striking three people inside the restaurant from a position outside the front door, Oklahoma City Police Capt. Bo Mathews told reporters.

As the gunman ran from the scene, two bystanders got their own handguns from the trunks of their vehicles, then confronted and fatally shot the attacker outside the restaurant, Mathews said Friday.

"They were able to shoot this suspect and put an end to this very dangerous situation," Mathews said, adding that the men -- Carlos Nazario, 35, and Bryan Wittle, 39 -- did not know each other. It's not clear who fired the fatal shot. Police initially said only one man fired on the attacker.

The bystanders' actions were "well within their legal rights" and likely would be protected by good Samaritan laws, Mathews said. He deferred a final call to the Oklahoma County district attorney, whose staff did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Read More</s>REUTERS: A gunman who wounded two people in an Oklahoma restaurant on Thursday was shot dead by a bystander when he walked outside the business, authorities said.

The gunman opened fire when he entered a Louie's restaurant in Oklahoma City's Lake Hefner district on Thursday evening, wounding two people, police said on Twitter.

"A bystander with a pistol confronted the shooter outside the restaurant and fatally shot him," the police Twitter feed said.

The wounded people were taken to hospital and are expected to survive. One other person was injured but not by gunfire, and a fourth person had a minor injury with the cause unclear.

The motive for the shooting is under investigation and the gunman's identity has not been confirmed, police said.</s>Gunman Who Fired Into An Oklahoma City Restaurant Was Shot Dead By 2 Bystanders

A gunman who opened fire, sniper-style at an Oklahoma restaurant Thursday evening was confronted by two people who saw what was happening, got their guns and shot him dead, police said.

The suspected gunman, who police identified as 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman, planted himself outside the door to Louie's Grill & Bar in Oklahoma City at about 6:30 p.m. local time. He began firing a handgun into the restaurant. Three people, including two juveniles, were wounded, according to police. A fourth person fell and broke his arm when the shooting started.

The gunman turned to flee and was confronted by two armed men outside, Carlos Nazario, 35 and Bryan Wittle, 39.

Police say the two men had arrived at the restaurant separately, and saw the man open fire. They went and got handguns they each had stored in the trunks of their vehicles. The men then shot and killed the gunman, according to police, who gave no further details.

Capt. Bo Mathews of the Oklahoma City Police Department confirmed that all three men had used handguns, and said investigators had no idea why the gunman targeted the restaurant or what he was planning to do afterward.

When asked by reporters whether he thought the two men were heroes, Mathews said, "I consider them two people who stopped an incident that was very tragic. I mean, you can say they're heroes, which is a very good thing to say. ... Heroes is a great terminology. I just say they were two people who stopped a very tragic situation from going any further."

The National Rifle Association praised Wittle and Nazario, touting its long-held slogan in a tweet: "the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun a good guy with a gun #2A." It also called the incident a "wake-up call" for Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin.

The Republican governor recently vetoed a state bill that would have allowed adults to carry a firearm without training or a permit. The bill had widespread support among lawmakers in Oklahoma, already considered a gun-friendly place. About a dozen other states have passed so-called constitutional carry laws.

In a statement, Fallin explained why she vetoed the measure, saying, "The firearms laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal, and serve to reassure our citizens that people who are carrying handguns in this state are qualified to do so."</s>(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Authorities work the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and opened f...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Police officers stand at the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Jennifer Stong hugs Tasha Hunt outside the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Stong was inside the restaurant when the shooting occurred.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A gunman opened fire inside an Oklahoma City restaurant during the dinner rush, wounding a woman and two girls before two armed citizens shot him dead outside, police said Friday.

The suspected gunman, 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman, was armed with a pistol when he entered Louie's On The Lake around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. A 39-year-old woman and two juvenile girls were shot and wounded, while an unnamed man fell and broke his arm while fleeing, according to a statement from police.

Tilghman was then shot dead outside the restaurant by two citizens identified by police as Juan Carlos Nazario and Bryan Wittle.

All four victims were reported in good condition Friday, according to Oklahoma City police Capt. Bo Mathews. A suspected motive for the shooting hasn't been released.

Dennis Will said his daughter and granddaughter were among those shot. Talking with reporters outside the hospital where the shooting victims were taken, Will said his daughter called him after the shooting and said they had been shot while entering the restaurant for a birthday dinner.

The Hal Smith Restaurant Group, which owns the restaurant, released a statement saying the restaurant will be closed Friday and counselors will be available to employees and customers.

"We are extremely thankful the situation didn't escalate further, and that injuries were not more widespread. However, our hearts are with the wounded during this incident," the statement read.

The statement referred other questions to police.

The National Rifle Association said in a tweet Friday that the shooting was an example of "how the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." The organization said it hopes the incident serves as a "wake-up call" for Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who recently vetoed a so-called constitutional carry bill that would have allowed adults to carry firearms without a license or training in Oklahoma.

In April, a restaurant patron wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. Four people were killed in that shooting. Police have said there would have been far more casualties if it weren't for the patron's quick thinking.

This story has been corrected to show that one of the citizens who shot the suspected gunman is named Juan Carlos Nazario, not Carlos Nazario.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Authorities work the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and opened f...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Police officers stand at the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Jennifer Stong hugs Tasha Hunt outside the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Stong was inside the restaurant when the shooting occurred.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Three people were shot and wounded at an Oklahoma City restaurant and one person was injured while fleeing before the gunman was shot dead by two armed citizens, police said Friday.

Police released a statement alleging that 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman opened fire inside Louie's On The Lake around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, wounding a 39-year-old woman and two juvenile girls. An unnamed man fell and broke his arm while fleeing.

Tilghman was then shot dead outside the restaurant by two citizens identified by police as Carlos Nazario and Bryan Wittle. A suspected motive for the shooting hasn't been released.

All four victims are reported in good condition, according to Oklahoma City police Capt. Bo Mathews.

Dennis Will said two of the shot victims are his daughter and granddaughter. Talking with reporters outside the hospital where the shooting victims were taken, Will said his daughter called him after the shooting and said they had been shot while entering the restaurant for a birthday dinner.

The Hal Smith Restaurant Group, which owns the restaurant, released a statement saying the restaurant will be closed Friday and counselors will be available to employees and customers.

"We will continue to support our guests and families in any way we can during this difficult time," the statement said. "We are extremely thankful the situation didn't escalate further, and that injuries were not more widespread. However, our hearts are with the wounded during this incident."

The statement referred other questions to police.

In April, a restaurant patron wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. Four people were killed in that shooting. Police have said there would have been far more casualties if it weren't for the patron's quick thinking.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Authorities work the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and opened f...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Police and emergency personnel surround the scene of a shooting at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ope...

(Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman via AP). Police officers stand at the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. A man armed with a pistol walked into Louie’s On The Lake restaurant at the dinner hour and ...

(Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP). Jennifer Stong hugs Tasha Hunt outside the scene of a shooting on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Stong was inside the restaurant when the shooting occurred.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A young man who opened fire in an Oklahoma City restaurant, leaving two people with gunshot wounds and two others hurt in the ensuing chaos, was then shot dead by a handgun-carrying civilian in the parking lot, police said.

Police said they didn't know what prompted the shooting around 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Louie's On The Lake, on Lake Hefner, but that they don't believe it was an act of terrorism.

"We have no reason to believe this is a terrorist type of incident," said Capt. Bo Matthews, an Oklahoma City Police Department spokesman. He said about 100 witnesses were being questioned.

A woman and a female juvenile were recovering Friday at a hospital after surgery for gunshot wounds and "are going to survive," Matthews said. A man suffered a broken arm while trying to escape the shooting and police say a fourth victim suffered a minor injury, but it wasn't clear how the injury occurred.

Dennis Will, of Hennessey, told reporters outside the hospital that the woman and girl who were shot are his daughter and granddaughter.

Will said his daughter called him after the shooting and said they had been shot while entering the restaurant for a birthday dinner for another of her daughters. That girl was not injured. Authorities have not identified any of the injured patrons.

Will said he doesn't know if his daughter knew the shooter, but that he would like to thank the passer-by who authorities say shot and killed the gunman as he left the restaurant.

Late Thursday, Matthews described the gunman as an 18- to 20-year-old white man, but that police had not yet identified him.

In April, a restaurant patron wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. Four people were killed in that shooting. Police have said there would have been far more casualties if it weren't for the patron's quick thinking.

Corrects that the birthday celebrations were for a sister of the girl who was shot, not for the shot girl.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Oklahoma City police say an armed citizen shot and killed a gunman who had wounded at least two individuals at a restaurant.

A woman and a female juvenile were shot and transported to the hospital after the shooting Thursday at Louie's Bar and Grill .

Police said the suspect entered into the restaurant and started shooting.

The conditions of the victims are unknown at this point.</s>The Gunman Entered Louie’s On The Lake Around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A gunman opened fire inside an Oklahoma City restaurant during the dinner rush, wounding a woman and two girls before two armed citizens shot him dead outside, police said Friday.

The suspected gunman, 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman, was armed with a pistol when he entered Louie’s On The Lake around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. A 39-year-old woman and two juvenile girls were shot and wounded, while an unnamed man fell and broke his arm while fleeing, according to a statement from police.

Tilghman was then shot dead outside the restaurant by two citizens identified by police as Juan Carlos Nazario and Bryan Wittle.

All four victims were reported in good condition Friday, according to Oklahoma City police Capt. Bo Mathews. A suspected motive for the shooting hasn’t been released.

Dennis Will said his daughter and granddaughter were among those shot. Talking with reporters outside the hospital where the shooting victims were taken, Will said his daughter called him after the shooting and said they had been shot while entering the restaurant for a birthday dinner.

The Hal Smith Restaurant Group, which owns the restaurant, released a statement saying the restaurant will be closed Friday and counselors will be available to employees and customers.

“We are extremely thankful the situation didn’t escalate further, and that injuries were not more widespread. However, our hearts are with the wounded during this incident,” the statement read.

The statement referred other questions to police.

The National Rifle Association said in a tweet Friday that the shooting was an example of “how the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” The organization said it hopes the incident serves as a “wake-up call” for Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who recently vetoed a so-called constitutional carry bill that would have allowed adults to carry firearms without a license or training in Oklahoma.

In April, a restaurant patron wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. Four people were killed in that shooting. Police have said there would have been far more casualties if it weren’t for the patron’s quick thinking.</s>A man who injured two people when he opened fire in an Oklahoma City restaurant on Thursday night was shot dead by an armed bystander, police said.

The suspect walked into a Louie’s restaurant in the Lake Hefner area and shot two people inside, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department.

A person with a pistol confronted the gunman and fatally shot him, the cops said.

The two victims, both females, were taken to the hospital where they were recovering.

It was unclear Thursday night why the gunman opened fire in the restaurant.</s>A suspected gunman was fatally shot by an armed bystander after opening fire on an Oklahoma City restaurant Thursday evening, according to police.

Oklahoma City police said a man with a gun walked into a popular restaurant, Louie's, near Lake Hefner and shot two people. Two other people were also injured, police say. A bystander with a pistol then confronted the shooter and fatally shot him, according to OKCPD.

The two victims have been taken to the hospital but are expected to survive, police said. OKCPD said it does not know the shooter's motive or identity yet, but that it does not suspect the shooting was linked to terrorism.

OKCPD said there was no longer an active threat at the scene near the Britton/Hefner Parkway just after 7 p.m. Roads are shut down near Lake Hefner as authorities investigate.
A gunman opens fire in a restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. Two people are injured and the gunman is killed at the scene after exchanging fire with an armed bystander.