Authorities say two children witnessed the Aug. 20 confrontation before the suspect drove north and was later located in Whitfield County.
ACWORTH, Ga. — A 21-year-old Milwaukee woman accused of stabbing her 39-year-old mother at least 10 times during an argument in a Chick-fil-A parking lot now faces two child cruelty counts in addition to an aggravated assault charge, authorities said.
Shyanniah Ma’Ree Johnson was arrested after the Aug. 20 confrontation near Interstate 75 in Cherokee County. Investigators said Johnson, her mother and two children had been traveling north toward Wisconsin when an argument began inside their vehicle. They exited the interstate and stopped at the Chick-fil-A on Highway 92, where authorities allege the dispute became violent while they were still inside the vehicle. Officials have not publicly disclosed what started the argument or identified a motive beyond the dispute between the two women.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said Johnson allegedly assaulted her mother, who suffered at least 10 stab wounds. Johnson also suffered an injury to her leg during the confrontation, according to investigators. The mother was able to leave the vehicle and make her way inside the restaurant, where police officers who happened to be there provided emergency assistance until an ambulance arrived.
The injured woman was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital for treatment and was later released, authorities said. Local reports said off-duty Acworth officers helped control her bleeding before paramedics arrived. The victim’s name has not been publicly released, and authorities have identified her only as Johnson’s 39-year-old mother from Milwaukee.
Investigators said Johnson left the restaurant parking lot and drove north on Interstate 75 with the two children still in the vehicle. Law enforcement agencies used automated license plate reader information to locate the vehicle in Whitfield County. Johnson was stopped there and taken to Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton for treatment of the leg injury she sustained during the confrontation.
The children were not physically injured and were placed in the custody of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services in Whitfield County, authorities said. Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office told People that investigators believe the children witnessed the alleged assault. Baker also said their custodial guardianship remained under investigation. Officials have not publicly identified the children.
Johnson was initially charged with aggravated assault under Georgia’s Family Violence Act. Authorities later added two counts of child cruelty, expanding the criminal case after investigators determined the children were present during the confrontation. The charges are allegations, and Johnson has not been convicted of a crime.
After receiving hospital treatment, Johnson was released Friday afternoon and booked into the Cherokee County jail, according to the sheriff’s office account reported by People. The publication reported on Aug. 24 that Johnson remained jailed on a $3,000 bond and had not yet been arraigned. No motive beyond the reported argument had been publicly announced.
The Chick-fil-A closed for the remainder of the day after the incident and reopened the following morning, according to local reporting. The case remains under investigation in Cherokee County. Authorities previously said additional charges were possible, and the later child cruelty counts became the first publicly reported expansion of the case.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.