McDonald’s workers shelter from active shooter in terrifying video
All of the employees were evacuated from the restaurant
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A video of McDonald's employees in Fort Meyers, Florida, sheltering during an active shooter situation has gone viral on TikTok, racking up more than 1.8 million views.
The video appears to be from an event that took place in October.
In the video, a trio of McDonald's employees, including the person filming, can be seen hiding behind a cooler from what is believed to be an active shooter. Police can be heard in the background shouting at an individual to “drop it”.
After a police officer enters the building, someone can be heard screaming “he's in the bathroom”, followed by the officer demanding the suspect exit with his hands in the air.
The video was titled “Tiroteo en McDonald's”, which roughly translates to “shootout at McDonald's”.
WFLA, a Florida broadcaster, reported that the suspect was apprehended by police after barricading himself inside the McDonald's.
Eventually police approach the McDonald's workers and rush them outside into the parking lot. Once the group of people are outside the building, the police officer tells them to run across the street and take shelter at a nearby bank.
According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, the shooter got into a confrontation inside the McDonald's and began shooting at police officers and deputies before fleeing into the McDonald's.
Mr Marceno said the suspect was communicating with the deputies over his phone, but the phone died. Deputies then provided him with another phone so they could continue the negotiation.
Ultimately all of the employees were evacuated from the building. Once the employees were removed, a SWAT unit shot tear gas to drive the suspect out of the building.
The suspect was then taken to a local hospital before he was booked into jail.
“You see this team? They’re heroes. This is what law and order is about cause today these men and women of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office prevented an active shooter,” Mr Marceno said after the incident.
“Whoever thinks they’re gonna come to Lee County and commit a violent crime, go somewhere else. We are not going to tolerate that here. Zero tolerance. You wanna be a thug, you go to prison here if you’re lucky. Leave our county while you can.”