Inset: A car involved in the shooting at the Florida McDonald's where a father and his 11-year-old daughter were shot (WPLG/YouTube). Background: The McDonald's in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where the dad and his daughter were shot (WFOR/YouTube).
A father and his 11-year-old daughter were both shot in broad daylight at a Florida McDonald's after being caught in the middle of an ambush involving an employee at the fast-food joint, cops say.
"We have two innocent bystanders involved in a situation that had nothing to do with them," Hallandale Beach Police Capt. Megan Jones told reporters during a news conference about the local weekend shooting.
The dad and his daughter were waiting in their car at the McDonald's while the child's mother was inside grabbing food when gunshots rang out around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to police.
"Our preliminary investigation indicates an altercation between multiple individuals escalated into an exchange of gunfire," the Hallandale Beach Police Department said on Facebook. "During the incident, innocent bystanders, including an 11-year-old girl and her father, were struck while sitting in their vehicle waiting for a food order. Both were transported to the hospital and are currently in stable condition."
Describing the people involved in the "altercation," Jones told reporters, "We do believe that one of the parties involved was a McDonald's employee." Investigators have not confirmed whether the employee was the alleged target or an attacker.
"People appeared to be waiting," Jones said about the ambush-style shooting. The suspects fled before officers arrived, according to the HBPD Facebook post. "Detectives are actively working to identify and apprehend everyone responsible," the post said.
Jones said that the mother "ran back outside looking to see if her family was involved" in the shooting "as soon as she heard the incident" unfold.
"[The mom] discovered that her husband and her child had been shot," Jones told reporters. "I was told that the child involved was screaming, which is a good thing, and crying, which is also a good thing, because anytime you get shot in certain extremities, no response is a very bad response. So, to be able to report that she's in stable condition at this time is a plus for us. It's a benefit."
Investigators were reviewing security footage as cops continued to follow up on leads and pursue "every avenue" to identify and apprehend those responsible, according to Jones.
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