A 26-year-old McDonald’s employee has been charged with fatally stabbing her manager, a mother of six, during a dispute at the fast food restaurant where they worked.
Afeni Badu Muhammad, of Eastpointe, was arraigned on Friday, July 11, in 38th District Court on charges of first-degree premeditated murder — a mandatory life without parole offense — and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, a five-year felony, according to Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido’s office.
Muhammad is accused of stabbing Jennifer Harris, of Mount Clemens, to death, just before 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, at the McDonald’s located at 17921 Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe.
Harris, who had worked at the location for 15 years, allegedly sent Muhammad home before her shift ended, the prosecutor’s office said.
Eastpointe Detective Lt. Alex Holish told the Free Press Muhammad said, “I’ll be back,” before later returning to the McDonald’s wearing a mask, entering through the employee entrance and allegedly stabbing Harris multiple times with a knife.
A customer at the drive-through, who was lawfully carrying a concealed weapon, witnessed the attack and fired his gun in an attempt to stop it, according to police and the prosecutor’s office. Muhammad fled to her vehicle, where the customer followed her and held her at gunpoint until Eastpointe police arrived and arrested her.
“This is an absolutely senseless and heartbreaking tragedy. A life was taken in an act of unimaginable violence,” Lucido said in a statement. “The victim leaves behind six children, six young lives that will now grow up without a parent. This isn’t just a statistic; this is a family shattered, a future forever altered.”
Muhammad stood mute as a plea of not guilty was entered during her arraignment, according to online court records.
Muhammad’s bond was set at $25 million, cash or surety only. If posted, she would be required to wear a steel cuff tether, report daily to community corrections, abstain from drugs and alcohol with testing, have no contact with the victim’s family, and stay away from the McDonald’s, the prosecutor’s office said. She is currently being held in the Macomb County Jail.
No attorney was listed for Muhammad as of July 11; the Free Press was unable to reach a legal representative. She was represented by a court-appointed attorney at the arraignment, and a petition for court-appointed counsel was filed, court records show.
“It is deeply troubling that we continue to see violence used as a response to conflict. How have we reached a point where, for some, the solution to a disagreement or problem is to pick up a weapon instead of finding a way to resolve differences peacefully?” Lucido added. “This should not be normal, and it must not be accepted as the status quo.”
Divine Restoration Ministries in Detroit, in partnership with the victim’s family, launched a GoFundMe to support the ongoing needs of Harris’ six children. Donations can be made here.
Yusef Alcodray, the local owner and operator of the Eastpointe McDonald’s, is also coordinating with Harris’ family and the church to help ensure her children are not left with any financial burdens during this difficult time.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the victim’s family and loved ones,” Alcodray said in a statement shortly after the stabbing on July 10, “Violence of any kind is unacceptable in my restaurants, and we are taking this matter extremely seriously, as the safety and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mother of 6 killed in stabbing at Eastpointe McDonald’s as worker faces murder charge
Reporting by Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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