Police said three women were treated after gunfire broke out inside a West Palm Beach restaurant.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Taco Bell employee was charged after police said he fired shots during a dispute with three customers Monday at a West Palm Beach restaurant, leaving two women with minor injuries.
D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, faces three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm after the shooting at the Taco Bell near 45th Street and Military Trail. Investigators said the argument began after three women asked for water cups and one used a cup at the soda fountain. Police said the confrontation moved from words to gunfire inside the dining area before a second shot was fired near the entrance.
Officers were called to the restaurant around noon April 27 after reports of shots fired. According to a probable cause affidavit, three women entered the Taco Bell and asked for a cup of water. Investigators said one of them filled the cup with soda, sparking a verbal dispute with Patterson. A witness, Rob Steiner, recorded part of the confrontation on a cellphone as the argument grew more heated. “I ran out. I was in fight or flight. I was screaming,” Steiner said. Police said the recording captured Patterson yelling, followed by the sound of a firearm being racked before a shot was fired inside the restaurant.
Investigators said Patterson swung at one of the customers as the first shot was fired. One woman fell to the floor after being shot, and another suffered a graze wound, police said. A third woman ran toward the exit. Police said Patterson followed the group outside and fired another shot toward one of the women. That round missed the customers and struck a window near the entrance, shattering the glass. Customers inside the restaurant ran or took cover as officers later surrounded the building with crime scene tape. Police said some people in the restaurant first did not know whether the sound was gunfire until a second shot was heard.
The three women left the restaurant in a vehicle and drove themselves to JFK North Medical Center, police said. Two were treated for minor injuries and released. The third was not struck by gunfire. Investigators said no weapon was found on the customers. Patterson told authorities he believed the women were armed and said someone had jumped behind the counter, according to police records. Police said witness statements and video did not support that account. Investigators said the women appeared to be trying to leave when the later shot was fired. Records also said another employee tried to move Patterson away from the customers during the dispute.
After the shooting, Patterson called 911 and told dispatchers that a customer had jumped behind the counter, according to the arrest report. He admitted firing the gun and told officers he placed it in a management office before they arrived. Police said the evidence showed Patterson was an active part of the verbal confrontation before the shooting. The restaurant was temporarily closed while officers processed the scene, and police activity caused traffic backups along Military Trail. When reporters returned to the area the next day, a window near the entrance had been boarded up. Police said the damage came from one of the shots fired during the confrontation.
Patterson made his first court appearance Tuesday. He was formally charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and his bond was set at $75,000. His attorney, Marc Shiner, said Patterson had called police and claimed self-defense. “This was an unfortunate incident where this young man was protecting the business from very aggressive young people,” Shiner said in a statement. “We are looking forward to the entire truth being brought out in a courtroom in the near future.” Police said surveillance video and witness statements did not support a self-defense claim. Taco Bell had not issued a public response in available reports.
The case remained under review by the State Attorney’s Office as the criminal process moved forward. Patterson has not been convicted of a crime, and available records did not show that he had entered a plea. His next known court date is scheduled for May 27. The shooting remained an open case after what police described as a dispute over a water cup that escalated into gunfire, injuries and a damaged restaurant window.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.