The owner of a Chicago burger joint has begged for the liberal city’s help after mobs of teens wreaked havoc on the restaurant and senselessly attacked one of her employees.
Jackie Jackson, the owner of a Fatburger in Chatham, a neighborhood in the city’s South Side, has broken her silence about the outrageous incidents that destroyed her store and left one of her employees, Aaron Burns, 18, terrified.
Above all, she said she is infuriated that the city’s police have failed to intervene.
Shocking security footage from one of the December 2024 ambushes shows a group of teens – some wearing masks to conceal their faces – breaking into the eatery’s kitchen to fight Burns.
The unsuspecting worker was seen being confronted by the group before one of its members, wearing a tan hoodie, started swinging at him.
The altercation traveled through the kitchen as other teens joined in. Horrified employees were seen filing out of the room as screams were heard in the background.
Other workers unsuccessfully attempted to de-escalate the situation.
Video captured of another incident, a few weeks later, shows teens hopping over the front counter to enter the kitchen.
The unsuspecting worker was seen being confronted by the group before one of its members, wearing a tan hoodie, started swinging at Burns (pictured)
Jackie Jackson (pictured), the owner of a Fatburger location in the city’s South Side, has broken her silence about the outrageous incidents that destroyed her store
In the corner of the video, a man witnessing the chaos seemingly pulled out a gun and pointed it at the teens, yelling, ‘Get the f**k out of here!’
No one has been charged in relation to the catastrophic events and Chicago police are still investigating the string of attacks, ABC 7 reported.
Burns told the outlet he believed the unprompted assault stemmed from a fight at his high school that he was not involved in.
He suspects the group went after him because they thought he was somehow involved.
‘I didn’t have no conversation with them, so I don’t even know why I was brought into it,’ Burns told ABC 7.
‘I was just shocked because I couldn’t believe they came up in here to fight me and I ain’t have nothing to do with it.’
Jackson, still fuming over the unjust incident, released a social media statement about it on September 8.
‘Twice in December, chaos walked into my brand-new Fatburger,’ Jackson wrote, adding that a shoulder injury had prevented her from intervening.
‘The first time, a group stormed in and went after my teenage staff. Most of my team ran for safety, but one of my kids was attacked and had no choice but to defend himself. A few weeks later, another group jumped the counter.
Horrified employees were seen filing out of the room (pictured) as screams were heard in the background
Aaron Burns (pictured) fought off attackers that stormed his jobs’ kitchen in December
The altercation traveled through the kitchen as others joined in (pictured)
‘I watched on camera numb, helpless, and heartbroken.’
Jackson thanked the man seen pulling out a gun in the footage, as she said he helped get the assailants out of the store.
But she said that what pained her the most was the lack of police involvement.
‘What makes it even worse: the police never followed up. One of the kids even dropped his ID, which was given to them, yet no follow-up ever came,’ she wrote.
‘That silence hurt almost as much as the attack itself.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to South Side Chicago police for comment.
Jackson had to invest in an eight-inch metal rod iron fence, heavy security doors and a ‘high-tech surveillance system.’
Now, she is calling upon her community to hold the culprits – and the city -accountable.
‘How dare they come into my business and put my team at risk?’ Jackson asked ABC 7. ‘They scared customers off, I was so frustrated.’
Video captured of another incident a few weeks later shows teens hopping over the front counter, with an armed customer chasing them out (pictured)
Jackson said the Fatburger in Chatham (pictured) has been forced to up its security
Despite being targeted at work, Burns has remained a loyal and diligent employee.
But due to safety concerns, he has been taking Ubers to and from work for all of his shifts.
Community organizer Early Walker caught wind of the situation on social media and decided to step in to help ease Burns’ burden.
During a Friday press conference, Walker presented Burns with a $4,000 check, funded by local business E&R Towing, to help him cover the costs of his work trips.
‘The fact that he stayed working here. He didn’t let this deter him,’ the organizer told ABC 7.
‘Kids do want to work and be productive, and Aaron was a prime example of that.’
