New York City McDonald’s worker shot over cold fries: NYPD

NEW YORK CITY (WPIX) — A McDonald’s worker was shot in the neck and critically wounded Monday evening in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, allegedly by the son of a customer who had argued with the victim over cold French fries, according to police and sources.

The incident began when the 23-year-old worker and the customer got into a verbal dispute related to her order at the McDonald’s on Fulton Street near Throop Avenue around 7 p.m., authorities said.

Police sources told Nexstar’s WPIX that the customer claimed her fries were cold, and requested that the worker prepare a new batch. The worker, however, refused, insisting that the fries the customer received were freshly made, sources said. The worker then escorted the customer out of the restaurant, according to sources.

During the exchange, the woman was on a FaceTime call with her 20-year-old son, who rushed over to the McDonald’s, allegedly carrying a gun in the waistband of his pants, sources said. The son, whose name has not been released by police, then allegedly went behind the restaurant’s counter, smashed property, got into a shoving match with at least one employee, and refused to leave, sources said.

Meanwhile, the worker involved in the initial dispute over the cold fries left the restaurant, encountered the woman outside, and got into another argument with her, this time over her son’s conduct inside the fast food restaurant, sources told WPIX.

During that dispute, the woman’s son finally left the McDonald’s, saw the worker arguing with his mother, and allegedly got into a fistfight with him across the street from the restaurant, sources said. At some point, the customer’s son allegedly pulled out the gun and opened fire, sources said.

Police said that the victim was struck in the neck, by a single bullet. First responders rushed him to a hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. Family members of the victim declined requests to comment on the record to WPIX.

The alleged gunman was taken into custody at the scene, officials said. No information regarding charges has been released.

This story includes reporting from WPIX reporter Nicole Johnson.