Los Angeles McDonald's Ransacked by Mob as Staff Cower in Shocking Video

A mob of young people ransacked a McDonald's in Los Angeles, as staff cowered behind the register before running into a back room, according to videos circulating on social media.

The crowd overran a branch of the fast food restaurant located near Crenshaw Boulevard and West 43rd Street in Leimart Park, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, on Monday night, KTLA reported. The incident occurred on Juneteenth, the nation's newest federal holiday.

Videos posted online captured the chaos, with people seen running into the restaurant and destroying furniture before confronting staff standing behind the cash register.

At one point, a McDonald's worker is seen using a chair as a shield against the crowd. Food and other items were thrown at the workers, who then retreated into a back room for their safety as some in the crowd jumped onto the counters.

Loud screaming and yelling can be heard throughout the video, which showed one person knocking down a glass display case while another ripped a cash register out from the counter and took it outside. "He stole the cash register!" a person is heard yelling.

A man is seen kicking the cash register until the drawer pops out and others crowd around it to grab the money.

It wasn't immediately clear what prompted the crowd to trash and loot the restaurant. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident.

Officers responded to a report of shots fired on the 4200 block of Crenshaw Boulevard shortly around 8 p.m., according to KTLA.

One teenager was taken into custody in connection with the incident, according to FOX 11.

The manager of the restaurant had just left before the violence erupted.

"It got a little hot for a second and it was a lot of people crowded together and everybody created, you know, some type of animosity," Teron Liggins, the franchise manager, told the station.

"That's unfortunate for sure. I'm also a man of God. So, you know, I try not to fear anything but God. But at the same time, you got to be smart. You got to be cautious."

Tony Lardas, the owner of the restaurant, said in a statement to KTLA: "We are deeply concerned by this recent incident.

"The safety of employees and customers is my top priority, and we're focused on supporting our restaurant team as we continue to assist local law enforcement in their investigation."

Lardas said employees who were present during the incident are being offered time off.

Newsweek has contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and McDonald's for further comment via email.

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