Ashley Andrews, 30, was arrested on June 18 after deputies responded to a Taco Bell in Chester, Maryland, for reports of a customer displaying a firearm during a confrontation with employees, as detailed by Dexerto. The Taco Bell is located in the Kent Town Market shopping center on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. According to the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, Andrews became angry about her wait time and told staff members to meet her in the parking lot.
She then lifted her shirt to reveal a loaded handgun and placed her hand on the grip while continuing to argue with employees. “Staff advised Andrews had become upset over her wait time for her food and during a verbal argument told staff members to meet her outside in the parking lot. She then lifted her shirt to show her gun and used threatening language towards them,” the Queen Anne’s County Office said on Facebook.
When deputies arrived, they detained Andrews along with another individual from her group who was also involved in the ongoing verbal dispute. A loaded firearm was recovered from Andrews at the scene. Investigators later reviewed both surveillance footage and a personal video recorded by an employee, both of which appeared to support the workers’ account.
It ended with charges and a court date
The footage showed Andrews lifting her shirt to display the handgun and placing her hand on the grip while continuing to argue with staff. Andrews has been charged with second-degree assault, handgun on person, disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment. She has also been banned from the Taco Bell property.
Court records show she was initially held on a $5,000 bond before posting bail and securing release the following day. She is being represented by a public defender, has invoked her right to a speedy trial, and has a court appearance scheduled for July. Second-degree assault in Maryland carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The reckless endangerment and handgun charges add further potential penalties on top of that. Andrews has not publicly commented on the charges, and Taco Bell has not issued a statement on the incident. Fast food confrontations have become a recurring theme online, with customers losing patience over wait times and service. A separate incident at a McDonald’s in New York City recently made headlines after a Texas woman sued the chain claiming a Sausage McMuffin made her violently ill.
Fast food workers across the country have increasingly spoken out about aggressive customer behavior, with incidents ranging from verbal altercations to physical confrontations being filmed and shared online.
Published: Jun 25, 2026 02:15 pm