JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – No injuries were reported after numerous shots were fired Monday night into a Westside McDonald's restaurant on the city's Westside, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
Police got the call about shots fired at 7:40 p.m. at the McDonald's on Blanding Boulevard, just north of Collins Road.
JSO Officer Christian Hancock said in addition to shots fire into the restaurant, and a car in front of the business was also struck.
Children were in a van that was hit by some of the shots.
The mother of the children, who was driving the van, said she was amazed that none of the kids were hurt.
"It is definitely a nightmare to me, but it's a real one," the mother said. News4Jax is not identifying the mother because the suspect is still on the loose. "The car was running. I was just running in there for coffee. Then I flew around the counter to go hide. Because I was scared hearing the gunshots keep going off."
Once the shooting stopped, she ran out to check on them.
"I just took off out the door," the mother said. "Crying. And I was shaking and scared. And I went out there and my daughter came right out of the van and she was hysterical. Saying they shot the van. And the first thing I started asking was how the kids are you guys OK? Did anybody get shot? Anybody hurt?"
Her kids weren’t hurt. She credits her 16-year-old daughter.
"She jumped over to the backseat and she started screaming, telling the kids get down! Get down," the mother said.
Nine people, including employees, were inside the restaurant at the time, and five people were in the car, but Hancock said no one was hit by gunfire or debris. According to the police report, four of those in the car were children.
One of the windows of the McDonald's was shattered.
"(It) could've been a lot worse than it did," Hancock said.
Detectives obtained surveillance video of an SUV used as the getaway vehicle after the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.