Fast-food employee shoots and kills customer upset with order, Florida cops say

A Checkers employee shot and killed a customer who reportedly complained about his food and asked to speak to a manager, Florida authorities said.

Elijah Travis Mackey, 23, was found hiding under a stairwell of a nearby motel and taken into custody, then he was charged with murder, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

McClatchy News reached out to Checkers & Rally’s for comment on the incident but did not immediately receive a response May 26.

The May 21 shooting stemmed from a male customer being upset with his food, deputies said in an arrest warrant.

Witnesses said the customer complained about his order to a female employee working at the Checkers window and asked to talk to a manager several times, investigators wrote in the report.

Video shows Mackey climb out of the drive-thru window and walk around the front of the restaurant, where witnesses said he started arguing with the customer, deputies said.

A witness recounted the customer insulted Mackey, then Mackey pulled out a gun from his waistband and shot the customer in the chest, according to investigators.

Video shows the man collapse to the ground, deputies said.

A witness told deputies Mackey ran off, then came back to get his backpack before fleeing again, investigators said.

Law enforcement reported they found him hiding at a motel nearby, and he asked several times if the victim was OK while being taken into custody.

Kissimmee is part of the Orlando metropolitan area.

This story was originally published May 26, 2025 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Fast-food employee shoots and kills customer upset with order, Florida cops say."