In a disturbing incident that unfolded at a McDonald’s in St. Louis County, a 25-year-old man with a known criminal background has been charged with second-degree assault following a brutal attack on a teenage employee. The assailant, identified as Johnny Ricks, is accused of initiating a violent altercation that resulted in serious injuries to a 15-year-old worker named Aryiah Lynch.
The events leading up to the altercation began on April 7, when a disorderly group of patrons, including Ricks, entered the restaurant. According to reports, the group started causing disturbances that escalated rapidly, targeting the young staff with verbal and physical harassment. Social media footage captured Ricks dragging Lynch by her hair across the parking lot and assaulting her multiple times near the restaurant’s drive-thru.
Details provided by the police reveal that Ricks became aggressive after entering the McDonald’s where Lynch was stationed behind the counter. In a rage, he hurled a tray at an electronic menu display. As employees attempted to intervene and escort him outside, Rick’s anger intensified.
He forcefully pulled Lynch to the ground and stomped on her head twice, an act of violence that left the young employee with a concussion, a fractured skull, and frontal lobe damage. Following the incident, the community has rallied around Lynch and her family. Shawnunique Phillips, Lynch’s mother, set up a GoFundMe page to assist with her daughter’s mounting medical bills.
In her plea for support, Phillips recounted the horrifying ordeal, describing how the attackers spat on her daughter and another young coworker, escalating their assault from the drive-thru to the interior of the restaurant, and even damaging property, including the self-serve screens.
Phillips expressed her daughter’s current struggle with recovery, emphasizing the psychological and physical toll the incident has taken on her and the family. She highlighted the uphill battle her daughter faces to overcome the trauma and injuries inflicted during the attack, which she described as having “shattered” their lives.
In the wake of the assault, Ricks was arrested and is now detained at the St. Louis County Justice Center. He faces charges of felony assault and second-degree property damage, with a court appearance scheduled for April 25. As Lynch recuperates at home on bed rest with hopes of eventually returning to work, the local community and McDonald’s management have shown their support.
McDonald’s operator Jimmy Williams stressed the importance of safety for employees and customers alike, praising the swift response of the St. Louis County Police Department in handling the situation. This violent episode has underscored ongoing concerns regarding the safety of workers in service industry roles, prompting calls for stricter measures to protect employees from such egregious acts of violence.
