Just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, a man wearing a ski mask and gloves walked into Captain Max Seafood restaurant, 3700 State Road 7, and brandished a gun.

After an "exchange of words" with the gunman, a restaurant employee used his own weapon to stop the attempted robbery, said Miramar Police spokeswoman Tania Rues.

"A restaurant employee fired several shots and killed the suspect," she said.

Police are still investigating whether the masked man fired his weapon before he was shot.

The unidentified employee was seen getting into the back of a police car Wednesday night as the body of the gunman remained inside the restaurant. Police were waiting for a search warrant to inspect the body for identification, Rues said.