A night out for fast food turned into a tragedy for Rebecca Hyde, 33, and her boyfriend David Tomor at a Lakeland, California McDonald’s on April 2. As the couple waited in the drive-thru line, an issue with their order caused a delay, which made the driver in the car behind them irate.
Despite being told that food could not be served outside of the car, the man began honking and yelling, leading to a confrontation with Tomor. As the situation escalated, the man brandished a firearm, and a physical altercation broke out between the two men. The man’s girlfriend also joined the argument, drawing Hyde into the fray.
After the fight ended, the couple drove off, but the other car followed and started shooting. Hyde was shot in the neck, with the bullet lodging in her jaw, while Tomor was hit in the arm. They were rushed to the hospital, where Hyde remains in critical condition and on life support.
Later that day, the Lakeland Police Department arrested Calvin Jordan Sousa, 28, at his home, charging him with two counts of attempted murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The victim’s family is heartbroken by the senseless violence that occurred that night. According to Tomor’s sister, Vanessa Tomor, the couple had been together since their teenage years, with two children to show for their long-standing relationship. They were known for being inseparable, making the tragedy all the more painful for their loved ones.
This incident follows another McDonald’s drive-thru violent crime that happened in March in Tennessee.
According to the Memphis Police Department, an employee of McDonald’s was arrested after a shooting occurred in the drive-thru window of the restaurant. Surveillance footage showed Chanteva Gray arriving in a Chevrolet Malibu and getting into an argument with Preston Deener, a 36-year-old employee, over an incorrect order. Gray then began banging on the window with a gun.
The argument continued until Deener took out a small handgun from his pocket, pointed it at Gray, and fired a single shot through the window. Gray was hit in the chest and died on the pavement between her car and the building.
Deener, who had a prior conviction for facilitation of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in 2006, fled the scene but was later arrested. He’s charged with second-degree murder and possessing a handgun as a convicted felon. In addition, he had a warrant for domestic assault stemming from a previous incident.
