Wendy’s worker thought gun wasn’t loaded, Illinois cops say. It was

A teenage girl in Illinois was hospitalized after a coworker accidentally shot her in the leg at a Wendy’s Tuesday night, police say.

It was just after 10 p.m. when Wendy’s employee Richard Willis, 25, showed his 17-year-old coworker a 9mm handgun he’d brought to work, WLS reported. Police say Willis removed the gun’s magazine before handing it to the girl who ultimately gave it back.

When taking the gun from the girl, Willis “squeezed the trigger,” firing a round still loaded in the chamber, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The bullet hit the girl in the leg.

Officers arrived and put a tourniquet around the girl’s leg before transporting her to an area hospital where she was initially in serious condition, WMAQ reported. She has since been stabilized.

Willis hid the gun in the restaurant after the incident, but officers were able to recover it after reviewing surveillance footage, police say, according to the news outlet.

Charges against Willis are pending, WLS reported.

According to Wendy’s website, the Alsip location closes to dine-in customers at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, with the drive-thru staying open until midnight.

This story was originally published October 17, 2019 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Wendy’s worker thought gun wasn’t loaded, Illinois cops say. It was."