HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - Parents and teachers hosting a fundraiser at a Hialeah McDonald’s jumped into action after a man made some frightening threats.
A Hialeah private school was holding a fundraiser inside the restaurant Thursday, when all of a sudden, a man entered the chain and threatened to kill everyone inside.
Parents, teachers and staff then acted quickly to protect the children, who ranged from age 5 to 12, and held the man down while they waited for Hialeah Police to arrive.
“The gentleman gets up and lets everyone know he was going to give some people an opportunity to get out,” said witness Tommy Pierce. “He picks up a chair and throws it and tells everyone he wanted to kill them.”
The event, called McTeacher’s Night, allows teachers from local schools to work the drive-thru window and the counter in order to fundraise for the school, but the school’s principal, Kevin Macki, said it took a disturbing turn.
“Basically, we had a fundraiser at a McDonald’s in the area, and there was a gentleman in there acting erratically,” he said.
According to police, the man said that everyone in the business needed to die.
Macki said he didn’t expect something like this to happen. “No, not at all,” he said, “but I have to commend my staff, my teachers, my parents. They acted quickly, and they got children out of harm’s way.”
“The heroes really were the teachers, the parents who helped restrain the individual,” Macki said. “Thank God that they were there. We have a great community here. That really helped out.”
The principal also said that the restaurant was evacuated.
The subject in this case was taken to the hospital for mental health treatment.
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