Man in Chicago McDonald's accused of attacking 3 with 'hatchet-like weapon' after demanding free food
1 man, 2 women injured after attack by suspect denied free food at Chicago McDonald's
Violence erupts at 2 Chicago restaurants, activists respond
Two violent incidents occurred at separate restaurants in Chicago, Illinois over the weekend. At a McDonald's, three people were injured when an offender was refused free food. Credit: FOX 32 Chicago
Chicago police are looking for a man they say attacked three people with a "hatchet-like object" after he was denied free food by a cashier at a McDonald's, local FOX 32 reported.
It happened around 8:29 Sunday morning in a restaurant in the 7800 block of South Western Avenue, Chicago police said.
"Man, this messed up," customer Moe Cannon told CBS News Chicago. "They don't mess with nobody. We go to this McDonald's every day, and they all cool people there."
Cannon added that he spoke to the suspect before he went inside the fast-food establishment.
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The violent attack took place Sunday morning at a McDonald's in the 7800 block of South Western Avenue in Chicago. (FOX 32 Chicago)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | MCDONALD'S CORP. | 290.85 | +0.14 | +0.05% |
"He asked me for a dollar for some coffee. I ended up giving him a dollar and and I gave him a Newport. He had the axe on him. I didn't know what he was going to do," he said.
Soon after, Cannon said he saw the suspect walk out of the McDonald's.
"I saw a little blood on the axe, and he was smiling. He was smiling and walking with the axe like this and eating a cookie," he told the local TV station. "Old girl had a hole in her head, and one lad was cut right here, and one boy, he was cut on his face, I think."
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Local media reported the drive-thru remained open, but the restaurant lobby was closed after the violent attack on Aug. 4, 2024. (FOX 32 Chicago)
The victims are reportedly one 18-year-old man and two 45-year-old women, and the McDonald's owner/operator, Vincent Hale, confirmed in a statement to FOX Business that all three are employees at the restaurant.
"We are deeply upset by the violent attack that took place in our restaurant yesterday morning, harming three of our own team members," Hale said. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees and customers. We offer our full support to them as they recover, as well as to the police during their investigation."
All three victims were taken to area hospitals, according to FOX 32. The 18-year-old and one 45-year-old were last listed in good condition, and the other 45-year-old was in serious condition.
Hours after the violent attack, people called police to report the suspect had returned to the scene, CBS News reported.
The inside of the restaurant was closed Sunday night while the drive-thru remained open, according to local media.
The offender is said to have violently attacked three people after being denied free food from an employee. (FOX 32 Chicago)
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Crew members who were working at the time of the attack were offered paid time off to recover, Hale said.
No offender is in custody, but Chicago police told FOX Business that detectives are questioning an individual while the investigation continues.