An 11-year-old girl and her father were shot in broad daylight at a Florida McDonald's after being caught in the middle of an ambush-style shooting that authorities say involved an altercation between multiple individuals, including possibly a restaurant employee.
The family had pulled into the drive-thru of the Hallandale Beach location around 1:30 p.m. Saturday while the girl's mother went inside to place their food order, according to the Hallandale Beach Police Department. The father and his daughter remained in their vehicle waiting for the meal when gunfire erupted around them.
Background
Hallandale Beach Police Capt. Megan Jones told reporters during a weekend news conference that the family had stopped at the fast-food restaurant on what should have been an ordinary outing. "We have two innocent bystanders involved in a situation that had nothing to do with them," Jones said. "An altercation between multiple individuals escalated into an exchange of gunfire."
The shooting unfolded as the mother was inside the McDonald's, police said. She ran back outside after hearing the chaos and discovered her husband and child had been struck by bullets.
"[The mom] discovered that her husband and her child had been shot," Jones recounted. "I was told that the child involved was screaming, which is a good thing, and crying, which is also a good thing, because anytime you get shot in certain extremities, no response is a very bad response."
Both victims were transported to a hospital and were listed in stable condition as of Sunday morning—a outcome Jones described as positive given the circumstances.
The Investigation
Police have confirmed that at least one person involved in the altercation was an employee at the McDonald's location. "We do believe that one of the parties involved was a McDonald's employee," Jones told reporters, though investigators have not yet determined whether that individual was an intended target or one of the attackers.
The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived, according to the department's Facebook post. Detectives were actively working Sunday to identify and apprehend everyone responsible for the shooting.
"People appeared to be waiting," Jones said, describing what witnesses reported about the ambush-style attack. "Detectives are actively working to identify and apprehend everyone responsible."
Investigators were reviewing security footage from the restaurant as part of their efforts to piece together exactly what happened and who was involved in the altercation that turned a routine lunch stop into a crime scene.
Key Takeaways
- The 11-year-old girl and her father were struck by gunfire while sitting in their vehicle at a McDonald's drive-thru in Hallandale Beach, Florida
- Both victims are currently in stable condition at a local hospital after being transported for treatment
- Police believe an altercation between multiple individuals—including possibly a McDonald's employee—escalated into the shooting
- The family had stopped at the restaurant around 1:30 p.m. Saturday; the mother was inside placing a food order when the gunfire erupted
- Suspects fled before officers arrived, and investigators are reviewing security footage while pursuing leads to identify those responsible
What's Next
Hallandale Beach Police detectives continue to follow "every avenue" to identify and apprehend the suspects involved in the shooting. Authorities have not released any suspect descriptions or made arrests as of Sunday morning.
The investigation remains active, with police urging anyone with information about the incident or those involved to contact the department's detective division.