Florida Chicken-Egg Bar Shooter Thought He Was Being Conned, Witness Claims

One of the men involved in the bizarre Florida pub shooting -- where a farmer allegedly opened fire over an argument about how many eggs chickens can lay -- says the gunman was super paranoid ... and took an honest question the wrong way.

Tyler McHargue joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and explained how a harmless discussion about egg-laying hens turned into gunfire and multiple arrests early Tuesday morning.

Tyler says he was out with friends celebrating a birthday when they met Peter Riera at Harpers Pub in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Riera is the man cops say opened fire outside the pub following the argument.

The way Tyler tells it ... Peter, AKA "Farmer P," was asking them how he could make some extra money to support his family.

Farmer P apparently sells his chickens' eggs at a farmer's market, and Tyler says he asked how many eggs the chickens lay ... trying to understand the circumstances in order to help Farmer P sell his eggs.

Sounds innocent enough -- but Tyler says Farmer P took things the wrong way and accused Tyler and Tyler's friends of trying to "con him."

Tyler says Farmer P pulled a gun on them and threatened to shoot ... but backed off, and then opened fire from the opposite side of the parking lot ... with one bullet whizzing by Tyler's head.

As we reported, cops showed up and arrested Farmer P and a couple of Tyler's friends.