Four McDonald’s employees in Oklahoma City were injured Wednesday night after telling a customer to leave the dining area, which was closed due to coronavirus restrictions. Authorities said the angry customer shot one of the workers, also injuring three others.
According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, suspect Gloria Woody entered the McDonald’s and was told by employees to leave because the dining area was closed. Woody, 32, refused to leave, but was forced out by employees following a “physical altercation” that left one worker with a head injury.
Woody reentered the fast-food establishment with a handgun, police said Thursday morning. She fired approximately three rounds.
Three additional employees were injured in the shooting — one was shot in the arm, another was hit with shrapnel in the neck and shoulder and a third was hit with shrapnel in the side. Two of the victims were 16 years old and two were 18, police told CBS News.
Initial reports indicated there were two customers involved in the shooting, but police clarified Thursday that Woody currently is the sole suspect.
According to police, the four employees sustained non-life threatening injuries. Three of them were taken to a local hospital to be monitored.
Police found Woody a few blocks away from the McDonald’s and immediately took her into custody.
A McDonald’s USA spokesperson told CBS News that the employees are expected to make full recoveries.
“The safety and security of our employees and customers is our top priority,” the spokesperson said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved and the good news is that we can report the employees who sustained injuries are expected to make a full recovery. This is a heinous crime on our restaurant employees who were trying to support public health efforts.”
“I think what you’re seeing in this situation is really what you’re seeing in a variety of situations across the country, which is this tension about opening,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told ABC News on Thursday. “But there’s absolutely no excuse for violence, particularly gun violence. So I’m just happy our people are going to be okay.”
Oklahoma City allowed most businesses to open their doors on May 1, but ultimately the decision was left up to each store. Many McDonald’s franchises have remained open for takeout but closed dining areas during the pandemic.
Last week, a similar incident occurred when a security guard at a Family Dollar store in Flint, Michigan was fatally shot. Three people were charged in the death of Calvin Munerlyn, 43, who refused to allow a customer’s daughter in the store without a face mask, which is mandatory statewide.
