An argument about trash duty turned into appalling violence at a McDonalds restaurant when a teenager was sent home, and her mother was shot by the manager in a battle, Illinois police said.
Kathy Bledsoe, 44-year-old McDonalds manager, has been arrested by authorities in Belleville, Illinois, on aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges, after she is said to have shot the mother of one of her teenage employees inside the restaurant on July 16.
A report by the Belleville Police Department showed that the incident began as a result of a small activity: Bledsoe is said to have requested a juvenile female employee to dispose of the trash as part of her duty.
Bledsoe informed the girl that she was to clock out and go home, when she failed to comply.
That choice reportedly did not go down well with the teenager, who promptly called her mother, Tynika R. McKinzie, 35, and asked her to go to the restaurant.
Trash Duty to Gunfire
According to the police, McKinzie later arrived at the fast-food restaurant with another teenage girl. The verbal argument soon led to physical violence.
When she arrived there, McKinzie went inside the restaurant and proceeded to the office of the manager, where she is said to have beaten Bledsoe in the face and head, authorities said.
During the scuffle, Bledsoe is said to have drawn a gun and fired at McKinzie in the leg in the restaurant office.
McKinzie had been hurt by the time police officers had arrived at the chaotic scene and needed medical assistance. She was hurried to a hospital nearby, and the doctors treated her gunshot wound.
Both the Women are Facing Criminal Charges
After the physical fight, both the manager and the mother of the teenager were arrested by the police. Bledsoe is charged with a felony for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The police established that she lacked any legal rights to own or operate a firearm in the premises of the business.
In the meantime, McKinzie also faces charges of aggravated battery and mob action, with police claiming that she started the physical confrontation that eventually led to gunfire.
Both ladies have been charged and are in the process of awaiting court hearings.
Police Chief Denounces the Violence
Belleville Police Chief Matthew Eiskant said he was disappointed that the situation turned violent, and it did not have to be that way.
Chief Eiskant wrote in a press release, It is a pity that this should have happened.
People have apparently turned out to be eager to use violence when dealing with a conflict without minding the consequences of their acts to the community in general.
This is just an unnecessitated case that could have been avoided without throwing punches or pulling a gun out, he said.
Town Freaked out by Fast-Food Assault
Locals are shocked about the unusualness and brutality of the event. The McDonald’s restaurant where the fight occurred is a popular restaurant frequented by families and schoolchildren.
One local customer who did not want her name used said, “It is honestly shocking. You come in to get a burger, and a person was shot because he brought out the trash? This would have turned out much different.”
One other resident termed it as a sad reminder of how fast minor conflicts intensify nowadays.
The Probe is Ongoing
The police of Belleville are still investigating the circumstances that resulted in the shooting. Video surveillance material inside the McDonald’s is under analysis, and further witnesses are being interviewed.
Police are yet to identify the name of the teenage employee at this point because she is a minor. But, it was reported that she was not hurt by it.
The McDonald’s restaurant at Belleville temporarily closed following the shooting so that the police could have the scene secure and carry out their investigations and has since reopened under new management supervision.
Corporate McDonald Responds
McDonald’s head office issued a short statement that recognized the occurrence:
We are cognisant of the unfortunate incident that took place at one of our franchise stores in Belleville, Illinois.
There is no place of violence in our restaurants, and we are working together with local authorities during their investigation. We are still determined to provide a safe working atmosphere to our employees and customers.”
Facing Jail Time Both
Upon conviction, Bledsoe may get years in prison for weapon use. McKinzie, on the other hand, is charged with offences that may cause him to serve a lot of time in jail as well because of the assault charges and joining in a group disturbance, otherwise called a felony of a group in Illinois.
This is a bizarre and bloody case that is a stark reminder of how easily workplace animosity can turn into a runaway train that runs over families and startled locals.
About The Author
