December 9th 2024.
According to a recent report by Fox 5 Atlanta, a catering company in Atlanta had a frightening experience when a former employee allegedly robbed the owner at gunpoint. Tim Morgan, the owner of Tim Morgan Catering, had terminated the employee, Harrita Benton, in early December 2024 after she failed to show up for an event she was scheduled to work at. He asked her to return her uniform and keys the following day, but Benton had other plans in mind.
Morgan shared that Benton had a key to the building and entered the premises dressed for work, complete with a hoodie, sweatpants, and tennis shoes. However, what caught Morgan off guard was the gun she had tucked in her waistband. He believed that her intention was to harm him and possibly even take his life. Fortunately, another employee intervened, and Benton ended up stealing Morgan's phone before making her escape. She was later arrested and charged with simple battery and theft by taking.
Although no one was hurt, the incident left Morgan and his employees shaken. One employee even called out of work due to fear. "It's been 48 hours, and I haven't been able to sleep," Morgan shared, highlighting the impact the incident has had on him. As a precaution, Morgan has hired extra security for the company.
This terrifying ordeal happened just days after the tragic news of UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson being killed on the streets of New York City. The perpetrator behind the crime has yet to be caught, but NYPD's chief of detectives, Joe Kenny, believes that the murderer could have been a disgruntled employee, similar to Benton. "Our thought on it is obviously it could possibly be a disgruntled employee or disgruntled client," Kenny stated, as reported by the New York Post.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only incident of a disgruntled employee turning to violence in 2024. In November of that year, a former employee of Navy Pier in Chicago killed two coworkers before fleeing the scene. The unidentified worker had been fired from his job at the popular tourist attraction, and the news of his termination seemed to have triggered his violent outburst.
Stephanie Knowles, an employee at a souvenir shop in Navy Pier, recalled the terrifying experience and how she and her colleagues had to hide in a storage room. Knowles shared that the thought of school shootings crossed her mind, as she had never been in such a terrifying situation before. "I was a little nervous, you know, when you think about the high school shootings," Knowles said, expressing her fear.
It's unfortunate that incidents like these have become more common, with employees turning to violence as a response to their termination. This is a concerning issue that employers need to address and find ways to prevent. As for Morgan and his catering company, they are still recovering from the traumatic event and are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of their employees and clients.
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