CLEVELAND — Police are investigating a shooting at a local hair salon that started with an altercation over an unpaid haircut.

At Urban Kutz, they’re usually very busy, but on Sunday, owner Waverly Willis said things were out of the ordinary.

It all started when a customer, after receiving his haircut, revealed that he did not have the $40 to pay, explaining that someone would bring him the money.

“So the hairdresser said, OK, but after an hour and a half, two hours, the hairdresser naturally got a little agitated,” Willis said.

Surveillance video showed the two men arguing and then things escalated.

“Out of the blue, this gentleman pulls out a nine-millimeter pistol. The barber, obviously, he’s backing up to the point where he’s backing towards the door,” Willis said.

As the customer prepared to leave, he fired a shot inside, hitting a Husky toolbox. Police report he then fired two or three more shots outside before fleeing. Fortunately, no one was injured.

After 16 years of serving the community through his barbershop, Willis finds it disappointing that someone would jeopardize the safety of his business, which he considers a vital part of Cleveland’s northwest neighborhood.

“This barbershop has intentionally become part of the fabric of this neighborhood and the city of Cleveland,” Willis said. “For this to happen, I mean, I’m appalled. I am a small business owner and someone was almost killed. I’m shocked, I’m impressed, and I’m also grateful that no one was hurt.

Willis says the shooter is a customer they’ve seen before and they’re working with police to catch him. Plus, they won’t let this incident ruin their business.

“Rest assured, everything is fine at Urban Kutz Hair Salon, and I want to let other business owners know that we need to stick together, and we need to let the community know that we are small business owners, and this This type of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in our businesses. Instead, they just hope the shooters know they’re never coming back,” Willis said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cleveland police.