17-Year-Old Charged After East Memphis McDonald’s Shooting; One Man Critically Injured

A 17-year-old male has been charged after a shooting just after 4 p.m. Monday at the McDonald’s on Quince Road at South Perkins Road in the Colonial Acres section of East Memphis, police and local outlets reported. One man was rushed to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, officials said.

Action News 5 reported that officers were dispatched just after 4 p.m. to the restaurant at Quince and Perkins and that “MPD says the suspects fled the property before officers arrived.” That report says the teen is charged with aggravated assault and “possession of a handgun by a juvenile,” and that the gun allegedly used in the shooting “was found hidden underneath a shed in the backyard of the residence.”

FOX13 Memphis located the suspect after a search and said the teen “was found behind nearby Colonial Middle School and arrested.” FOX13 used a slightly different charging phrase, writing that “the boy was charged with aggravated assault and illegal possession of a handgun.” Localmemphis likewise reported officers found a man in critical condition at Quince and Perkins and said the victim “told officers that he did not know who shot him and had little recollection of what happened.” Localmemphis also named Regional One Hospital as the facility that received the victim.

Reports differ on the precise arrest location and how many people fled the scene. Action News 5 identified the arrest area as the nearby Dearing Road neighborhood and used plural “suspects,” while FOX13 and Localmemphis placed the arrest on or near Colonial Road and behind Colonial Middle School. FOX13 additionally noted that a woman was detained and later released, “MPD said.” Those discrepancies on arrest location and the number of people who fled remain unresolved.

Action News 5 posted the arrest notice to Facebook with the caption, “A 17-year-old has been charged following a shooting at a Colonial Acres McDonald’s Monday,” and the post showed 84 reactions, 26 comments and 29 shares. Public comments captured on that post ranged from disbelief to speculation, including users who wrote “That was fast” and “So now he has two felonies at 17.”

One outlet’s photo caption dates the police scene to Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, while other reports identify only “Monday afternoon.” Authorities have not released the suspect’s name because he is a minor, and formal charging paperwork and precise legal language have not been confirmed publicly. Memphis Police Department is investigating the incident; follow-up reporting should confirm the exact calendar date, the precise arrest address, current condition of the victim at Regional One Hospital, whether ballistics link the firearm recovered under a backyard shed to the shooting, and whether additional suspects or charges are expected.