A father and his 11-year-old daughter were hospitalized after getting caught in the crossfire of a shooting outside a Florida McDonald’s.
The family was sitting in a black SUV in the parking lot of the Hallandale Beach restaurant on June 27 when gunfire erupted around them, cops said.
“We had two innocent bystanders involved in a situation that had nothing to do with them,” Captain Megan Jones of the Hallandale Beach Police Department said, per CBS News.
The wife of the injured man had gone inside to collect their food around 1.30 p.m., and when she came back found her loved ones had been hit.
“As soon as she heard gunshots she ran back outside to see if her family was involved and discovered that her husband and her child had been shot,” Jones told NBC6. Images from the crime scene show a bullet hole in the back window of a car.
The victims, who have not been named, are in hospital in stable condition.
Police are now looking for multiple suspects, and believe one of the individuals involved is a McDonald’s employee.
“The suspects fled before officers arrived. Detectives are actively working to identify and apprehend everyone responsible,” Hallandale Beach Police Department said in a statement Sunday.
“Based on the investigation so far, this appears to have been an isolated incident stemming from a dispute between the individuals involved. There is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families during this difficult time. No one should have to endure what they experienced today, and we remain committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”
A witness at the scene told NBC6: “It was just two gun shots. All I saw was the police swarmed the place up. The suspect took off running.”
“I don’t wanna be nowhere near that,” he added.
Brad Ashlin, owner and operator of the Hallandale Beach McDonald’s, told The Independent they were supporting authorities with the investigation.
“We are devastated by the shooting that occurred outside our restaurant this past weekend,” he said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the father and young daughter who were injured, as well as their family during this difficult time.
“The individual reported to be involved is no longer employed at our organization. We will continue to support the Hallandale Beach Police Department, including providing surveillance footage and any assistance needed for their investigation.”
Police are yet to issue a description of the suspects involved but Hallandale Beach Police Department asked anyone with information or footage of the shooting to contact them or Broward Crime Stoppers.
Broward County, where Hallandale Beach is situated, has a higher average rate of gun related homicides than the Florida state average, at 5.7 firearm related homicides per 100,000 people compared to the total state average of 4.2, as of 2024.
