A visit to a McDonald’s in Daytona Beach, Florida on a Sunday evening turned deadly when a disagreement in the drive-thru line escalated into a shooting in the restaurant’s parking lot. One man lost his life while another man is claiming self-defense. Local law enforcement is currently probing the circumstances of this fatal encounter.
On the evening of September 8, 2024, at approximately 8:00 PM, Daytona Beach police responded to reports of gunshots at a McDonald’s on LPGA Boulevard. Officers arrived at the scene to find a chaotic situation in the restaurant’s parking lot.
“When officers arrived at the scene, they observed a female actively performing CPR on a male victim who was on the ground in the parking lot with an apparent gunshot wound,” Daytona Beach police said in a statement. Despite the woman’s efforts, the man, later identified as 30-year-old Brian Collins, was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the initial investigation, another man approached the police and identified himself as the shooter. He alleged that the fatal conflict resulted from a road rage incident that started in the McDonald’s drive-thru line.
Police records indicate that the dispute between Collins and the shooter moved from the drive-thru to the parking lot.
According to the partially redacted incident report, a man pulled into a parking spot at McDonald’s to let Collins pass. As the man tried to leave the parking spot, possibly backing into Collins’ car, Collins abruptly stopped his vehicle, preventing the other man’s car from moving forward.
The report states that Collins exited his vehicle, approached the other man’s car, and punched the driver through the window. Claiming that Collins had a knife, the other man shot Collins once.
“The guy attacked me in the parking lot. I had to defend myself. I had to defend myself,” he told the 911 dispatcher.
The shooter, 40, whose identity is yet to be released by the police, stated that he acted in self-defense as he feared for his life during the altercation. This claim could be significant in the ongoing investigation, as Florida’s Stand Your Ground law could be relevant.
As it stands, no charges have been filed against the shooter. The Daytona Beach Police Department is conducting a comprehensive investigation to gather evidence and witness statements to understand the events leading to Collins’ death.
Collins’ family, consisting of his mother, sister, and girlfriend, are expressing concerns over the lack of charges against the shooter. They believe the shooting was unwarranted, asserting that Collins never brandished the knife he allegedly had in his pocket.
“If the man had simply said ‘Back up, I have a gun,’ Nicolas would have stepped back. That’s all it would have taken,” stated Anna Sweeney, Collins’ mother.
The McDonald’s branch, located about 55 miles to the northeast of Orlando, was closed for several hours as the investigation team searched for evidence. The local community expressed shock and concern about the violent incident that took place in a typically bustling family restaurant.
While Brian Collins’ family grapples with their unexpected loss, the community awaits additional information and potential legal action resulting from this lethal confrontation. Collins leaves behind ten children, including a one-month-old.
