A Florida sheriff has described a shooting at a McDonald’s drive thru as a “McMess,” in a joke-filled statement on social media.
Grady Judd, of Polk County, said trouble started when a branch in Davenport was inundated with online orders at around 3 a.m. on October 12.
Yoan Soto, 21, was working an overnight shift at the fast food chain at the time, Judd explained in a statement on Instagram.
When Soto told two customers at the drive-thru – Peter Story, 19, and Nicholas Jones, 18 – they were “way behind” and he couldn’t take their order, he was threatened, Judd said.
The two teens alleged told Soto they would wait for him to end his shift and beat him up after. When he replied he didn’t get off until 4 a.m. the men are said to have gone into the restaurant to make further threats.
“They’re having a McArgument in the McDonald’s over McHamburgers or lack of McHamburgers,” Judd said, adding that the two teens bragged about being armed with a “switch” and a “30-clip.”
Security footage obtained by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office showed Soto brandishing his own weapon while Jones and Story continued to make threats about opening fire.
Judd said when the pair tried to grab Soto’s gun he pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed Story in the neck, before he and Jones fled the scene to a nearby hospital.
“It’s a blessing that it was a very minor wound, but you know what?” Judd said. “When you start shooting McGuns, you’ll get people’s attention, and they’ll let you McHave the restaurant and that’s what they did.”
Soto, who was described by the sheriff as being “McScared”, initially fled from the scene and took his shell casings with him. He later returned to the restaurant when deputies arrived, before being arrested and charged with tampering with evidence.
Judd said that Soto was cooperating and had a right to defend himself.
“He has a right to stand his ground and protect himself, and these guys are threatening to do violence after they’ve already threatened on the outside of the store and come inside,” he said. “They created a well-found fear in him and the store manager.
Jones and Story were each charged with disorderly conduct and trespass after warning.
“It was just a McMess,” Judd added. “But we’ll sort it out, because we’re McGood at investigating McCrime.”
