Armed robbery was not on the menu for a trio of assailants who targeted an Army National Guard soldier Sunday night in the drive-thru of a Sonic restaurant in DeKalb County, Georgia.
The three men, at least one of whom was armed, approached 23-year-old Joseph Toombs on foot as he was sitting in his vehicle waiting in line for his food, according to WXIA.
The armed stick-up prompted Toombs to pull out his own gun, which he fired, striking one of the assailants, 19-year-old Kenneth Brayboy.
Brayboy was taken to the hospital and later died.
The two other suspects fled the scene. Police caught one of them — 17-year-old Desmond McKnight. He has been charged with several offenses, including murder.
Toombs will not be charged with any wrongdoing.
While most of Sonic’s business comes via its drive-thru and its curb-side service, the company is one of several fast food chains to recently implement gun restrictions on patrons dining inside the restaurant or on its patio — two factors that Toombs luckily did not have to deal with.
“We’ve considered the views and desires of our customers and employees that staff the drive-ins across the country,” Sonic said in a statement last year. “Accordingly, we’re asking that customers refrain from bringing guns onto our patios or into our indoor dining areas. With respect to the storage of guns in vehicles, we ask that our customers continue to honor local laws.”