A 17-year-old McDonald’s worker was found stabbed in the bathroom on his night off, and police say his 16-year-old coworker did it

A 16-year-old is in juvenile detention in Texas after the Harris County Sheriff’s Office charged him with murder. The perpetrator was reportedly involved in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old coworker at a McDonald’s restaurant in Cypress, according to Law&Crime. The suspect has not been convicted, and the details below come from law enforcement and from the victim’s family. Authorities have not publicly named the suspect.

The victim was Reginald “RJ” Harrell, who was identified by his family. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 said deputies responded Wednesday night to calls about a stabbing at the restaurant on Louetta Road, as an in-progress attack had been reported. Deputies found Harrell in the bathroom with multiple stab wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police confirmed that Harrell and the suspect worked together, and the two reportedly got into a fight before the stabbing. Harrell’s family told a local news station that he was not supposed to be working that night. Why the two teenagers were fighting has not been made public, and the suspect remains in custody at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center.

RJ’s mother says her son did not deserve any of this

Denisha Dennis, Harrell’s mother, told the station that her youngest child “did not have to go out like this” and “did not deserve this at all.” She said she wants “justice for my son.” Harrell’s sister, Kourtnee Dennis, said she never imagined that the last time he walked out the door for work would be the last time she saw him.

The restaurant was temporarily closed after the death. McDonald’s owner-operator Michael Gutierrez said in a statement that he was “saddened by this tragedy” and that his thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones and everyone affected. He added that the current focus is on the well-being of restaurant employees and on supporting them as they process what happened.

Early updates from the constable’s office described a juvenile male suspect and a juvenile male victim, and both were confirmed as employees of the restaurant. Harrell’s name came from his family, while his age and the murder charge against the suspect were announced by the sheriff’s office. The suspect’s name has not been released, and deputies have not described what happened inside the restaurant before the fight.

The suspect’s age affects how the case could move through the Texas courts, as state law allows a juvenile court to hold a hearing on moving a child who is 14 or older and accused of a first-degree or capital felony into adult court. However, it has not been reported whether prosecutors plan to ask for that step in this case.

Violence involving young people has surfaced in other recent cases around the country. In Baltimore, police say a man who had been out of prison for a week fired toward a youth football field over a parking spot and killed a 12-year-old girl. The Cypress stabbing remains under investigation by Harris County authorities.

Many questions remain open, as authorities have released few details beyond the charge and the location. However, the reason for the fight, the weapon involved and the circumstances that brought Harrell to work on his night off have not been detailed. His relatives have said they want accountability for the person responsible.

The 16-year-old’s next court dates may clarify whether the case stays in juvenile court, and investigators could release more information about what led to the fight as the murder case develops.