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20-Year-Old Charged After Taco Bell Shooting Injures Two

5/3/2026

43 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, was arrested and charged with three aggravated assault counts after video showed him yelling, racking a gun, and shooting three customers at a Palm Beach Taco Bell.
The shooting injured two women, grazed a third, and forced all three to drive themselves to a hospital.
At his appearance Patterson was ordered to post a $75,000 bond while his attorney claimed self-defense as Taco Bell declined comment.

History

Historical Context

The deadliest U.S. mass shooting before 2017 was Omar Mateen’s June 12, 2016 attack on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, which left 49 dead. The March 2024 Palm Beach Taco Bell shooting by D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, injuring three patrons and prompting three aggravated-assault charges, revived the same state-level debate over background checks and the NRA’s opposition that followed the Pulse tragedy.

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Story summary

D’Mari Jy’Quan Patterson, 20, was arrested and charged with three aggravated assault counts after video showed him yelling, racking a gun, and shooting three customers at a Palm Beach Taco Bell.
The shooting injured two women, grazed a third, and forced all three to drive themselves to a hospital.
At his appearance Patterson was ordered to post a $75,000 bond while his attorney claimed self-defense as Taco Bell declined comment.

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