Shocking footage shows the moment a Florida McDonald’s worker opened fire on a drive-thru customer who complained about their incorrect order.
Chassidy Gardner, 22, of Lakeland, was arrested on June 14 after police officers responded to a reported shooting at the McDonald’s drive-thru she worked at on East Memorial Boulevard in the city.
The violent altercation happened when the customers “felt their order was incorrect”, the Lakeland Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Gardner was captured in surveillance footage throwing a drink at customers as they were leaving the drive-thru after an argument broke out over their order.
Two customers then got out of their vehicle, opened the drive-through window, and began throwing drinks at Gardner, who then pulled out a gun, the video shows.
Gardner was later seen in the footage walking outside of the drive-thru and shooting at the customers’ vehicle.
Police said she struck the vehicle once. She was booked into the Polk County jail and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Orlando Rolon, retired police chief of the Orlando Police Department described the incident as “disturbing.”
“What’s becoming disturbing is us hearing more about these types of stories,” he told Fox35. “It’s unfortunate because once you fire that round, that round has no mercy. Wherever that round is going, whatever it strikes, it’s going to damage it or kill it.”
He continued: “It was totally uncalled-for and unjustified for her to pull the gun on a customer through the drive-through, regardless of what the situation was, unless there was a risk of great bodily harm that was going to be brought on to her, or there is a situation where someone was engaging in some activity that could result in bodily harm,” adding that the “McMix-up” has likely changed Gardner’s life forever.
“I’m shocked that she had a weapon of that sort in a place such as a McDonald’s as an employee,” he said.
It is not clear if Gardner was legally allowed to have the gun in the McDonald’s restaurant. A McDonald’s employee handbook on the company’s website does not address weapons inside restaurants.
Other reports add that the company abides by the laws of the state or region where the restaurant is located. No permission is needed from an employer prior to carrying a firearm either openly or concealed at work under Florida law.
Lakeland franchise owner Lanny Sumpter told The Independent that Gardner has been fired from her role following “a number of organizational policy violations.”
“The safety and wellbeing of my customers and crew is paramount to me as a business owner, and I am shocked and disturbed by the actions of this employee. Violence of any kind is never tolerated in my organization, and the employee has been terminated following a number of organizational policy violations. We will continue to work with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,” Sumpter said.
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