'My momma was a good person': Family of murdered McDonald's manager crestfallen by her death
McDonald's manager killed in workplace stabbing
Jennifer Harris, a single mother of six and a manager at McDonald's, was fatally stabbed Thursday morning by one of her employees, according to police. The incident happened right before 8 a.m. at the McDonald's on Nine Mile in Eastpointe.
EASTPOINTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - A single mother of six was stabbed to death at her McDonald's job by another employee, leaving her children in heartbreaking grief.
The backstory:
39-year-old Jennifer Harris, a mother and a manager at the Eastpointe McDonald's, was fatally stabbed Thursday morning by one of her employees, according to police.
Harris, known as ‘Jamma’, had been an employee of McDonald's for the past 15 years, according to her family.
"My momma was a good person, she was the best mom anybody could ever ask for," Antonia Griffin said through tears. "My momma, she woke up every day to work for us. My momma died trying to take care of us!"
The stabbing happened right before 8 a.m. at the McDonald's on 9 Mile.
Investigators say it started as a verbal dispute between Harris and her employee. Harris asked the woman to leave, but a witness at the drive-through said she returned wearing a mask, with the only thing visible being her hands, which is how they identified her.
She then started stabbing Harris.
"She started stabbing her and I ran for help and basically asked everybody like "help help" or whatever," the witness said. "I tried to stop her - it was no stopping her. She stabbed her everywhere."
Police report that a customer, a CPL holder, witnessed the stabbing while in line at the drive-thru. He fired his gun into the air in an attempt to stop the crime.
The suspect ran out of the fast food restaurant, and the CPL holder got out of his car and held her at gunpoint until police arrived.
Jennifer Harris, 39, was identified as the McDonald's manager who was stabbed to death during a workplace dispute on Thursday in Eastpointe.
What they're saying:
Harris' oldest daughter said the two employees were friendly prior to Thursday morning's attack.
The McDonald's is a locally-owned and operated franchise. Owner Yusef Alcodray released a statement, condemning the violence.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the victim's family and loved ones. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in my restaurants, and we are taking this matter extremely serious, as the safety and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation, and the restaurant will remain closed until further notice." - Yusef Alcodray, Local Owner/Operator
Dig deeper:
Harris' family members were beside themselves with grief, as they met the 26-year-old suspect, who acted nice to the children. She is expected to be arraigned on Friday.
The children's father is incarcerated, with the tragic stabbing leaving them without a parent.
The Source: Harris family members spoke to FOX 2 about the single mom of 6. This story also used information from previous reports.
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Michigan McDonald's manager killed in workplace stabbing was single mom to six
A single mom of 6 and McDonald's employee for 15 years was killed Thursday morning after a workplace argument with another worker.