A McDonald’s worker in California shot a female colleague before police fatally gunned him down during a Monday morning confrontation.
Jonhatan Anguiano, 29, entered the San Joaquin County store in Lodi around 9:30 a.m. Armed with a semi-automatic pistol, according to the Lodi Police Department. He fired multiple shots inside the restaurant, injuring a woman who also worked there.
Police released a surveillance photo showing Anguiano wearing his employee uniform and a long black sleeve on his right arm, captured moments before responding officers killed him. Investigators have not disclosed what motivated the attack.
Officers encountered the injured woman upon arriving at the scene. Authorities said Anguiano opened fire on an officer as police closed in, forcing them to shoot him.
“The suspect was ultimately pronounced deceased on scene,” the Lodi Police Department said in a statement. The injured co-worker was rushed to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition.
Cheryl Marie Steneck, who was in the drive-thru when the violence erupted, described the terror of witnessing the incident unfold. “I was in the drive-thru at the cashier window when the shots were fired. I heard 4 shots being fired inside. Scary times,” she said.
Lodi City Councilmember Cameron Bregman, who lives just a block from the McDonald’s, addressed the shooting’s impact on the tight-knit community. “Lodi is a very small town, and so there’s about four or five stories already circling. Right. The best thing I can do is let the police do the work and let the police release the reports,” Bregman told a local television station.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is leading a multi-agency investigation into the shooting. Lodi police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact Detective Blythe at 209-333-5545.
In the viral moment that drew national attention, a fast-food employee turned an ordinary Monday morning shift into a deadly crime scene, attacking a coworker before engaging in a fatal shootout with police. The surveillance image of Anguiano in his work uniform, moments before his death, underscored the jarring reality of workplace violence erupting in a familiar community setting.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what led Anguiano to open fire.