Video captures melee inside Pennsylvania Wendy's before shooting

Katie Katro Image
Monday, January 27, 2020
Cheltenham Township Wendy's manager arrested after brawl, shooting
Cheltenham Township police have arrested a man who they believe shot at a teenager in the parking lot of the Wendy's on West Cheltenham Avenue after a brawl last week.

CHELTENHAM, Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania Wendy's manager is now under arrest after a brawl inside the store led to a shooting last week.

It happened around 6 p.m. Friday at the restaurant in the state's Cheltenham Township.

Township police have arrested 29-year-old Rico Drayton of Philadelphia, who they believe shot at a teenager in the parking lot while customers were inside eating.

Surveillance video inside the Wendy's shows a fight break out in the kitchen.

"They were slipping and sliding all over the place," said Lt. Andy Snyder with the Cheltenham Township Police Department.

Police said the fight spilled from the kitchen into the parking lot. Police said as the teens were running away from Wendy's, Drayton - who was the manager of the store and was also involved in the fight - fired his handgun at the group, striking one of the teens in the shoulder.

The teen was taken to a local hospital after suffering a graze wound.

"When we did recover the firearm, it turns out the gun had malfunctioned, so the offender was only able to fire one shot before it malfunctioned. Otherwise things could have been much worse," said Lt. Snyder. "And he was a convicted felon, who wasn't allowed to possess a firearm in the first place."

Police say Drayton has been on parole in connection with another crime. Police said Drayton had fired an employee the day before for fighting with another employee. The fired teen came back the next day with his friends to fight.

Customers at the scene said they were stunned to hear about this.

"It's just shocking because this is a really nice area, I really like the restaurant," said Monique Hayes from Cheltenham.

According to police, Drayton threw the gun in the bushes next to the Wendy's where police later retrieved it inside a backpack.

Police haven't been able to identify all the teens in the surveillance video, so if you recognize any of them, police want to hear from you.