Two boys using a bathroom at McDonald’s in Keizer recently discovered a loaded pistol in a stall, promptly reporting their find to their mother.
Keizer police are investigating the discovery made on the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 18. The loaded revolver was not reported stolen and the owner has not yet been identified, police said.
The mother, Alexus Todd, a lifelong Keizer resident, said she was thankful her sons, age 6 and 10, left the gun alone and reported it to her.
She said the family stopped at the McDonald’s at 4880 River Rd. N. while out shopping.
Her sons went to the bathroom together, entering one large stall and spotting the gun on the changing table. No one else was in the bathroom.
“My oldest came to me and said, ‘There’s a real gun and it’s loaded,’” Todd said. She checked herself and then reported the gun to employees.
She said a manager took the gun to the restaurant office.
Keizer Police Lt. Trevor Wenning said in an email that police weren’t called until about 90 minutes after the gun was found.
“The reason in the time delay was because the employee did not know what to do with the gun until they contacted their supervisors,” Wenning said. Todd “made a complaint to corporate and that is what got the ball rolling and the police called.”
The McDonald’s restaurant referred Keizertimes to the corporate office, which didn’t respond to emailed questions.
Wenning said no details about the gun would be released while the police investigate. He confirmed there was no record it was stolen.
“It’s possible the owner doesn’t know it’s missing or, the owner is too embarrassed to claim it at this point,” he said.
Wenning said officers were reviewing security footage from the restaurant.
Todd said she was thankful her sons knew enough to not touch the gun.
“This is my kid’s life,” she said, considering what might have happened.
“Today could’ve ended very badly,” she said in a Facebook post.
She said she has reached out to McDonald’s corporate office about the incident but has had no contact as of Sunday, Feb. 23.
Todd said she was going public so other parents might use the episode as a safety lesson.
Wenning echoed her message.
“We would like to remind parents to have a conversation with their children about gun safety,” he said. “With new technology such as 3D printing, real guns can have toy-like appearances which could lead to a loss of life situation.”
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