Florida Taco Bell Employee Arrested After Shooting Three Women Who Tried Filling Watercups With Soda

A Florida outlet of the popular fast food chain Taco Bell was the scene of a violent crime when an employee fired shots at three female customers. According to police, who arrested the 20-year-old suspect, the incident occurred when the victims tried taking free soda in water cups.

Video footage obtained from the scene further showed that the employee began assaulting a woman who sprinted toward the soda fountain. One of the victims was struck by a bullet, while another was grazed. The third reportedly fled.

Three female customers approached 20-year-old D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson on April 27. They reportedly each asked for a cup of water at the West Palm Beach Taco Bell location. While Patterson started to comply with their request, one of the women suddenly ran toward the soda fountain and began filling her water cup with free soda.

As the employee witnessed the woman’s actions, he reportedly shouted at her. The commotion startled bystanders, some of whom began recording the incident on their phones.

When one of the customers still lingered near the soda fountain after being reprimanded, Patterson reportedly lost his temper. He berated the woman and, within seconds, brandished a firearm from behind the counter. The suspect fired a shot at the woman, as seen in video footage.

One of the victims was seriously wounded by the bullet and immediately collapsed to the ground. The second suffered a graze wound. But the third woman ran out of the outlet, only to be followed closely by the Taco Bell employee. He chased her down and fired another shot at the woman, which struck one of the outlet’s windows.

The gunfire sparked commotion among other diners inside the outlet. According to police reports, many ducked under tables for cover. They were reportedly unsure whether crossfire was taking place inside the eatery.

When the police were alerted to the situation, they swiftly arrived and arrested Patterson on the spot. He was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, to which he pleaded not guilty. Patterson reportedly defined his actions as self-defense.

Two of the gunshot victims were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for their injuries. According to their medical reports, both are expected to make a full recovery soon. The third woman, whom the suspect reportedly chased down, did not suffer from any gunshot injuries.

In the meantime, the damages inside the Taco Bell outlet, including a damaged board, were repaired by the next day, on April 28.

One of the scared diners reportedly brushed off the incident as something quite commonplace. The individual claims that such gunfire has been a part of the shifting societal norm. A customer reportedly stated to the press, “It’s not a problem — things happen, and we just take it as it is and go from there.”