HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — An 18-year-old McDonald’s employee opened fire in broad daylight in a restaurant parking lot, striking an innocent 11-year-old girl in the head and wounding her father while the family waited for their food order.
The targeted shooting unfolded Saturday afternoon, June 27, at the McDonald’s located at 835 West Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Surveillance video released by NBC 6 shows the suspect, Ralph N-Kosi Blue III, confronting and firing multiple shots at another man in the lot. The intended target fled after taking cover, but the stray bullets struck a nearby SUV where the father and his children were sitting.
The victims had no connection to the dispute, police said.
The father was shot in the right hip. His 11-year-old daughter suffered a gunshot wound to the head, the bullet entered through her forehead and lodged in the back of her head. Doctors determined that attempting to remove the bullet could cause further damage. She remains hospitalized in stable condition at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
Two younger children in the vehicle, ages 5 and 2, were unharmed. Their mother had gone inside the restaurant to pick up the food order when the gunfire erupted.911 calls captured the terrifying screams and frantic pleas for help as witnesses rushed to the scene.
Blue, who was reporting to work at the McDonald’s at the time, ran back inside the restaurant after opening fire. The other man escaped.
Hallandale Beach Police, working with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, arrested Blue on Monday morning without incident. He has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.
In his initial court appearance, Blue was ordered held without bond on the aggravated battery charges and with a $1 million bond on the aggravated assault charges. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victims and was prohibited from possessing weapons.
Hallandale Beach Police Chief Michel Michel said: “This arrest is the result of the relentless work of our detectives and the strong partnership we share with the Broward Sheriff’s Office. A family was hurt by a reckless act of violence that had nothing to do with them. Today’s arrest is a significant step, but our investigation is far from over. We remain committed to identifying everyone involved and holding them fully accountable.”
The local McDonald’s owner/operator issued a statement expressing devastation over the incident:
“We are devastated by the shooting that occurred outside our restaurant this past weekend. Our thoughts are with the father and young daughter who were injured, as well as their family during this difficult time. The individual reported to be involved is no longer employed at our organization. We will continue to support the Hallandale Beach Police Department, including providing surveillance footage and any assistance needed for their investigation.”The investigation remains active as detectives work to identify any additional people involved in the original dispute that led to the shooting. Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Hallandale Beach Police Department Detective Bureau at 954-457-1400 or Broward Crime Stoppers anonymously at 954-493-8477.
This brazen act of violence turned an ordinary family outing into a nightmare and left an 11-year-old girl fighting to recover from a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities say justice will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.
