Cops: Man Gunned Down Teen Worker at McDonald's Drive-Thru

Justin Michael Mullis, 24, charged after apparently random shooting of Kylee Leniz, 16, in Nevada
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 4, 2020 9:05 AM CST
Cops: Man Gunned Down Teen Worker at McDonald's Drive-Thru
Justin Michael Mullis.   (Elko Police Department, via NBC News)

In what appears to be a random crime, a Nevada man is in custody and accused of fatally shooting a teen worker at McDonald's over the weekend. Police say that 16-year-old Kylee Leniz died after being shot at the restaurant in Elko on Sunday night, and 24-year-old Justin Michael Mullis has been charged with one count of open murder, reports NBC News. Per the Elko Daily Free Press, police responded to a call around 9:30pm Sunday after a man strolled up to the McDonald's drive-thru window on foot, then shot through the window, striking Kylee. Kylee was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Police put out alerts to the public on the suspect, who'd fled the scene.

A Facebook post from the Elko Police Department noted that an acquaintance drove Mullis to the police station on Monday afternoon, at which point he was questioned, charged, and taken to the Elko County Jail. "The investigation is ongoing," the statement reads. "However, the crime appears to be random and there is no known connection between Mullis and the victim." The owner of the McDonald's restaurant put out a statement on the killing. "It is with a heavy heart that we lost one of our Elko employees and are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred," Chris Kassity said, calling it a "deeply difficult time." Elko High School, where Kylee was a student, is offering mental health services to those who may need support. (More McDonald's stories.)

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