An employee at the fast-food chain in Florida allegedly shot at three women who tried to snag free soda from the establishment.
D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, was arrested Monday and accused of snapping at the trio while on-the-clock at a Taco Bell in West Palm Beach.
D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, allegedly shot at three women inside a Taco Bell on Monday. PBC Jail Police said the three women entered the Mexican-inspired eatery together and each asked for a cup of water. One of them then pivoted to the soda fountain and started filling up her cup — to snag free soda.
Patterson, who witnessed the trick, started shouting as startled bystanders recorded the ensuing chaos.
One video obtained by police showed Patterson berating the woman who lingered near the soda fountain, CBS 12 reported. Police said they could hear a firearm being racked in the video mere seconds before the first round went off.
One woman was hit by a bullet and collapsed to the ground. Another suffered a graze wound, while the third bolted, the outlet reported.
Patterson, who tried to plead self defense, allegedly chased her down and fired another shot in her direction, which struck a window near the Taco Bell entrance.
Panicked diners still inside scrambled out the exit while others took cover underneath table — with some confused whether they had heard gunfire, the outlet reported.
Patterson was working at the Taco Bell when one of the women started filling a water cup with soda. WPEC The shattered window was boarded up by Tuesday, the outlet observed.Aaft
And diners hade already begun shrugging off the shooting and accepted the chaos as part of a shifting societal norm.
“I mean it doesn’t surprise me the world we live in today,” one customer said.
“It’s not a problem — things happen, and we just take it as it is and go from there,” another added.
Two of the victims were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and are expected to make a full recovery. The third, who Patterson allegedly tried to chase down, didn’t sustain any injuries.
Patterson was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
