DAVENPORT, Fla. — A McDonald’s employee and two other men were arrested by deputies on Oct. 12 after a fight between the three led to gunfire at a Davenport location.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Juan Soto, 21, was working an overnight shift at McDonald's.
Several concerts in the area had ended. The McDonald's Davenport location, which is on the Osceola-Polk County line, became overwhelmed with online orders, Judd noted.
Two other men, Nicholas Jones, of Haines City, and Peter Story, of Davenport, entered the drive-through lane. When they tried to order, Soto explained that they couldn’t serve them because they were already backed up, Judd said.
So, Jones and Story started threatening Soto, saying they were going to attack him when his shift ended, Judd said. Both men then get out of their vehicle, enter the restaurant, and threaten Soto by saying they have a gun, Judd said. Soto replied he owns a gun as well.
The restaurant manager then stepped between them, trying to quell the fighting.
When the two men threatened to shoot up the restaurant, Soto grabbed a gun out of his backpack to get those men out of the store, Judd said. When one of the men tried to grab Soto’s gun, it fired, striking Story in the neck. He suffered a non-life-threatening wound and was driven to the hospital by Jones.
"It was just a McMess," Judd said.
Soto then grabbed the gun, the casing, and the projectile and fled. When deputies arrived, Soto was called back to the restaurant. He was charged with tampering with evidence.
Jones and Story were both charged with trespass after warning and disorderly conduct.
“Listen, folks, it's never OK to threaten a mass shooting. It's never OK to threaten to beat people up at a business, and it's never OK to grab your ammunition and your firearm and run after a shooting, Judd said.
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