In footage from a Lakeland, Florida McDonald’s on June 14, 2024, defendant Chassidy Gardner allegedly pulled a gun on a customer before walking outside of the restaurant and firing two shots at a customer’s car (footage and booking photo courtesy Lakeland Police Department).
She wasn’t loving it.
Police in Florida arrested a 22-year-old McDonald’s drive-thru employee, Chassidy Gardner, and charged her with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after she allegedly fired two shots at a customer who was unhappy with their order on June 14.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Monday announcing the arrest — introduced with the tongue-in-cheek headline “McMayhem” — police said they responded to a McDonald’s on East Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland close to 1 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting.
“The dispute began in the drive through when the customers/Victims felt their order was incorrect. The employee Chassidy Gardner (age 22), argued with the customers at the drive through window. Gardner threw a drink at the customers as they were attempting to leaving. [sic] Two of the customers got out of their vehicle and opened the drive-through window to throw drinks at Gardner who then armed herself with a handgun,” police said.
Officers said once the customers drove around the side of the fast-food restaurant, Gardner went outside — her gun in hand — and kept arguing.
Notably, in a police affidavit, Gardner confirmed the weapon was her pink, blue and purple Glock.
“While still outside, Gardner fired her weapon as the vehicle was leaving the parking lot,” police said.
They alleged she hit that customer’s car at least one time with a single bullet.
Gardner was detained at the Polk County Jail until June 15 when, according to public jail records, she was bailed out for $15,000.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment to Law&Crime and it is unclear if Gardner has retained an attorney.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained Tuesday, police said Gardner told them that one of the customers in the vehicle stated their order was wrong.
“Gardner then said one of the occupants of the [vehicle] must have overheard Gardner say she doesn’t get paid enough. Gardner stated the occupants of the vehicle then began a verbal altercation with her,” the affidavit states.
Gardner told police when the people drove up the window, one of the passenger “threw a slushy at her” and then after awhile, the car went and parked at the exit/entrance of the stop sign. Gardner told police she saw two women and one man get out of the car.
That’s when she fired two “warning shots,” she told police.
But police said she couldn’t get her story straight when asked why she came outside of the McDonald’s after the altercation.
“Gardner stated she came out of the McDonald’s to pull her co-worker back into the restaurant and that she was trying to leave work when she saw the subjects approaching. Gardner then stated she fired 2 shots. Gardner said she left her car key inside the McDonald’s and went back into the McDonald’s to grab the key to try and leave the restaurant,” the affidavit states.
When reached for comment Tuesday, McDonald’s franchisee Lanny Sumpter said: “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.”
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