Prosecutors in St. Louis County filed a murder charge Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of a Steak ’n Shake employee at a drive-through window earlier this month, following what authorities said was an argument over a food order involving onion rings.
The victim, Chauncia Meekins, was shot and killed the night of April 8 at the restaurant located in Spanish Lake, Missouri, a community roughly 30 minutes north of St. Louis.
According to KMOV-TV, family members gathered outside the location for a vigil shortly after the charges were announced.
St. Louis County prosecutors said 20-year-old Jada Bell is facing six felony charges in the case, including murder and armed criminal action.
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Jail records indicate Bell’s next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
A previous report from KMOV said Bell was being held on a $1 million, cash-only bond with no 10% option.
Court records cited by the station state that Bell drove up to the Steak ’n Shake drive-through window and became involved in a dispute with employees over her order.
Meekins was among the workers present during the confrontation.
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According to KMOV, the situation escalated when Bell threw a drink at Meekins, who then threw it back.
Authorities allege that Bell then pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at Meekins. The victim died as a result of the shooting.
The station reported that another individual was struck in the hand during the incident.
Surveillance video from the restaurant captured the shooting, and investigators also determined that Bell’s phone was in the area at the time.
Following the announcement of charges, Meekins’ family members spoke about the case and the impact of her death.
Her father, Chauncey Lovell Meekins, described seeing his daughter before her burial.
"I saw my daughter as she's getting ready to be laid to rest. She looked beautiful, she looked happy, right, and I didn't know why, but now I know why she is happy ... because her crime has been solved," he told KMOV.
Relatives said that while the arrest does not bring Meekins back, it begins a process toward accountability.
"As a family, as a whole, we will be pushing for the death penalty — not for revenge, but to set an example because we need to stop this senseless violence out here," Meekins’ cousin, Anthony Willhite, told the station.
Willhite also spoke about the broader impact of the violence, saying it could affect anyone in everyday situations.
"Chauncia just so happened to be in harm's way; this could have been anyone's child, at the convenience store buying potato chips, at the gas station taking too long at the pump," he said.
Meekins’ mother, Tamela Washington, told KMOV that the argument leading up to the shooting was over onion rings.
"It's never that serious to take a person's life over fast food," Washington said.
The case remains under review as prosecutors move forward with the charges.
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