Female McDonald’s Worker Shot by Colleague Inside Restaurant

A morning shift at a California McDonald’s erupted into deadly violence after an employee allegedly opened fire on a female co-worker before turning his gun on police, authorities said.

The terrifying shooting unfolded around 9:30 a.m. Monday at a McDonald’s in Lodi, a city in San Joaquin County.

Police identified the gunman as 29-year-old Jonhatan Anguiano, who investigators said entered the restaurant armed with a semi-automatic pistol.

Anguiano allegedly fired several rounds inside the fast-food restaurant, striking a female employee.

Police have not revealed what may have triggered the attack or whether there was any dispute between the two workers before the gunfire began.

When officers arrived, they encountered the wounded woman and began closing in on the armed suspect, according to the Lodi Police Department.

Authorities said Anguiano then fired at one of the responding officers.

Police returned fire.

“The suspect was ultimately pronounced deceased on scene,” the department said.

The wounded McDonald’s employee was rushed to a local hospital, where authorities said she was in stable condition.

Police later released a surveillance image appearing to show Anguiano inside a restaurant storage area shortly before the deadly confrontation. He was reportedly still wearing his McDonald’s uniform and had a long black sleeve covering his right arm.

Investigators also released an image of a black Springfield Armory handgun, ammunition magazine and bullet believed to be connected to the shooting.

One customer said she was sitting in the drive-thru when the violence suddenly erupted.

“I was in the drive-thru at the cashier window when the shots were fired. I heard 4 shots being fired inside. Scary times,” witness Cheryl Marie Steneck said.

The shooting stunned residents of Lodi, where City Councilmember Cameron Bregman said rumors about what happened quickly began spreading through the tight-knit community.

“Lodi is a very small town, and so there’s about four or five stories already circling,” Bregman told KCRA. “The best thing I can do is let the police do the work and let the police release the reports.”

Bregman, who reportedly lives only about a block from the McDonald’s, called the violence alarming and unacceptable.

The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office is now leading a multi-agency investigation into the shooting, including the officers’ use of deadly force.

Authorities have not publicly identified the female employee who was wounded.

Investigators are also still trying to determine why Anguiano allegedly opened fire inside the restaurant.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the case is being asked to contact Lodi Police Detective Blythe at 209-333-5545.