A 12-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man have been charged with murder after the boy fatally shot an employee at a Sonic Drive-In restaurant in Texas, police said.
The shooting unfolded Saturday evening at the Sonic in the 300 block of South Old Betsy Road in Keene, police said. Keene is about 30 miles south of Fort Worth.
Angel Gomez, 20, went to the Sonic in a car with other passengers and was acting “disorderly” in the parking lot when he was confronted by Sonic worker Matthew Davis, 32, authorities said.
Keene Police Chief James Kidd said Davis confronted Gomez for urinating in the parking lot, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
The two argued, and the confrontation turned physical, police said.
During the altercation, a juvenile from Fort Worth who was a passenger in the suspect’s vehicle “retrieved a firearm and fired multiple shots, striking the victim,” police said in a statement.
Kidd said it is believed the shooter is 12 years old.
He said that the weapon appeared to be an "AR-style" rifle and that it appeared that “at least six shots” were fired and struck the victim.
Police said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident that was not racially motivated or gang-affiliated.
Officers were called to the scene shortly after 9:30 p.m., but Gomez and the boy had already fled.
Officers found Davis “lying in the parking lot having suffered multiple gunshot wounds,” police said. He was flown to Harris Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Gomez eventually returned to the scene and was arrested. Police said law enforcement agencies found the boy in Rio Vista, arrested him and recovered several firearms.
Davis leaves behind a 10-year-old son, according to a fundraiser to support his family and cover funeral costs. As of Tuesday, the fundraiser had raised over $10,000.
Sonic said in a statement: “We were saddened to learn about the tragedy involving a franchised team member in Keene, TX. The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation."