"Sepi said the man, identified by authorities as 26-year-old Kevin Ratcliff, produced an object that he thought to be a gun and opened fire."
Obviously I have no idea what actually happened here, but depending on whether Sepi was visibly carrying his weapon or was visibly acting oddly, it is also entirely possible that the male, despite whatever his other activities (men in allies at late night aren't selling lemonade), was totally justified in drawing his weapon and firing.