What began as a minor argument over a customer filling a water cup with soda quickly escalated into gunfire inside a Taco Bell restaurant on Monday, leaving two women with minor injuries, police said.
Officers were called around noon on April 27, 2026, to the Taco Bell located at Military Trail and 45th Street after reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, multiple police units responded to the scene, which was quickly secured with crime scene tape.
According to the probable cause affidavit, three women entered the restaurant and asked 20-year-old employee D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson for water cups. One of the women then used her cup to dispense soda from the self-serve fountain, sparking a verbal confrontation with Patterson.
Cellphone video recorded by a witness captured Patterson yelling at the women as tempers flared. The recording reportedly includes the sound of a firearm being racked, followed moments later by a gunshot inside the dining area.
Police allege Patterson pulled out a gun from behind the counter, struck one of the women with it, and fired a shot. One woman was hit by the bullet and fell to the floor, while another suffered a graze wound. As the women attempted to flee, Patterson followed one outside the restaurant and fired a second shot in her direction. That round missed her but shattered a window near the entrance.
Customers inside the restaurant scrambled for safety, with one witness later telling police he initially wasn’t sure if the sounds were gunshots until he saw residue and heard the second shot, prompting him to run out of the building.
The three women drove themselves to JFK North Medical Center for treatment. Two were treated for minor injuries and released, while the third was unharmed.
After the shooting, Patterson called 911 himself. He admitted to firing the gun and told dispatchers he had placed the firearm in the restaurant’s management office. He claimed self-defense, alleging that one of the customers had jumped behind the counter and that he believed the women were armed. However, no weapons were found on the women, and police said surveillance video and witness statements did not support his self-defense claim.
Patterson was arrested on Monday and charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. He made his first court appearance on Tuesday, April 28. He remains in custody pending further proceedings, with his next court date reportedly scheduled for May 27.
The restaurant was temporarily closed as authorities processed the scene, causing traffic backups along Military Trail. The case is still under review by the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
