A routine trip to get McDonald's for a 5-year-old allegedly spiraled into violence in Magoffin County, Kentucky, when authorities say Macey Jo May attacked one woman, struck an intervener, and then fired shots at neighbors trying to help.
Background
According to the Kentucky State Police, the incident began Sunday morning at a home on Combs Branch Road. Investigators were told that May had become angry at another woman for taking a young child to get breakfast at McDonald's. The nature of May's relationship to either the child or the other woman remains unclear.
"She was upset about a 5-year-old getting McDonald's," said a neighbor who witnessed part of the confrontation but declined to be identified. "That's what started all of this."
The argument quickly escalated beyond words. Authorities say May began striking the other woman on the side of her head. When an additional woman attempted to intervene, May allegedly struck her in the face as well.
"It happened so fast," the neighbor recalled. "One minute they were arguing, and then she was hitting them."
The Investigation
Neighbors who gathered outside to witness the fight tried to break up the altercation. That's when May made a chilling statement, according to investigators: she would "eat them one by one."
"We thought it was just angry talk at first," another neighbor said. "Nobody expected what happened next."
May allegedly grabbed a gun from her purse and fired two shots before the weapon jammed. One of the rounds reportedly came dangerously close to striking one of the neighbors who had been trying to help.
When Kentucky State Police arrived on scene, they arrested May without incident. During questioning, she told investigators she could not remember anything from that morning.
"She said she didn't recall any of it," according to a law enforcement official familiar with the interview. "That's what she told us."
The Charges
May, 25, has been charged with fourth-degree assault causing minor injury, first-degree wanton endangerment, and third-degree terroristic threatening. She has also been charged with attempted murder.
She is being held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, Kentucky, without bond listed.
Key Takeaways
- The confrontation began over a dispute regarding someone taking a 5-year-old to get breakfast at McDonald's
- May allegedly struck two women and then fired two shots at witnesses before her gun jammed
- She told police she could not remember the incident after being arrested
- One of the bullets nearly hit a neighbor who had been trying to intervene
- May is charged with attempted murder, assault, wanton endangerment, and terroristic threatening
What's Next
May is expected to appear in Magoffin County District Court for an arraignment hearing. The investigation remains active as authorities work to piece together the full sequence of events that morning.
The child involved in the original breakfast dispute has not been identified as a victim or charged with any offense.