A late-night trip for fast food spiraled into chaos when threats, a firearm, and poor decisions collided at a Polk County McDonald’s, as Fox News reports.
According to authorities, an altercation early Sunday morning, October 19, 2025, resulted in an employee shooting a customer in the neck after being threatened repeatedly inside the restaurant.
Tensions boiled over during peak hours as several local events sent crowds pouring into area businesses. One McDonald's found itself paralyzed by a flood of online orders when Nicholas Jones, 18, and Peter Story, 20, showed up expecting service without delay.
Threats Escalate After Employee Denies Service
Yoan Soto, 21, the employee managing the chaos, informed the men that the kitchen was backed up beyond capacity. “Hey, sorry guys, we’re way behind. Our online orders are overwhelming us,” Soto reportedly told them—a reasonable statement that quickly became the spark for a serious situation.
Rather than accept this reality and leave like adults, the pair allegedly began issuing threats. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the men responded with remarks like, “We’re going to hang out here. When you get off, we are going to beat you up.”
Soto, trying to de-escalate, told them his shift would end at 4 a.m. and attempted to return to his duties. But that wasn’t the end of it. The two men parked their vehicle and reentered the store, now apparently loaded with more aggressive posturing than earlier.
Customers Allegedly Threaten Mass Shooting
Inside, the situation deteriorated further. Authorities say the men referenced having a “switch” and a high-capacity magazine, which prompted Soto to respond that he, too, was armed. It wasn’t a good sign when both sides acknowledged they were packing heat in a fast-food line.
The store manager valiantly stepped in, placing himself between the customers and Soto, trying to prevent things from fully erupting. According to Sheriff Judd, the customers then escalated matters by making threats of a mass shooting—a terrifying proposition in any setting, let alone a restaurant filled with families and employees already feeling unsafe.
At that point, Soto retrieved his gun. Surveillance footage reportedly showed him threatening the two in the store’s main area. It’s important to note that Soto clearly didn’t initiate the threat—but he did respond forcefully after a disturbing barrage of intimidation.
Shooting Follows Attempt To Seize Firearm
Both Jones and Story were instructed to leave the premises as they had been warned. The store manager told them they were trespassing. Jones, in a brazen show of ignorance, apparently shouted that only law enforcement could declare that—something Sheriff Judd quickly clarified as false.
As chaos mounted, the customers allegedly tried to grab Soto’s firearm. In the scuffle, he fired a shot that struck Peter Story in the neck. Fortunately, the injury was considered minor, though this was clearly a situation that could have turned fatal.
Jones drove Story to the hospital and then contacted law enforcement—at least one wise move following several bad ones. Soto initially fled the scene but returned shortly after deputies arrived and cooperated fully with the investigation.
Charges Filed Against All Involved
Soto was charged with felony tampering with evidence, an unfortunate consequence of briefly leaving the scene. However, the sheriff was clear: Soto legally had the right to defend himself under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
Meanwhile, Jones and Story now face charges of trespassing after warning and disorderly conduct. Both learned the hard way that threats of violence in a business are not protected behavior, especially under statutes that take self-defense seriously.
“Listen, folks, it’s never OK to threaten a mass shooting,” Judd said during a press conference. “It’s never OK to threaten to beat people up at a business.”
Sheriff Slams Behavior With Colorful Comment
Judd didn’t mince words about the nature of the altercation. “They’re having a McArgument in the McDonald’s over McHamburgers or lack of McHamburgers,” he said, capturing the absurdity of the situation with trademark wit.
He later remarked, “It was just a McMess. But we’ll sort it out, because we’re McGood at investigating McCrime.” Behind the sarcasm was a serious point: this wasn’t just squabbling—it was a real threat to public safety that could have gone far worse.
The case presents a pretty simple takeaway. Threats, bravado, and criminal behavior in today’s climate aren’t just foolish—they’re dangerous. And when people escalate over a cheeseburger, they shouldn’t be surprised when lawful gun owners refuse to be pushed around.
