PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty to shooting a teenage Chick-fil-A employee after a dispute about a milkshake nearly two years ago in the Lawncrest section of Northeast Philadelphia.
Tyquan Austin, 28, on Tuesday shared remorse for firing one shot into the store in June 2022. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and a gun charge.
Authorities said Austin was picking up a DoorDash order with a friend at the Chick-fil-A along Adams Avenue, just off Roosevelt Boulevard. They got into an argument with some of the employees about the order. The pair sped off but came back around, and Austin fired a gunshot into the store, striking the teen in the leg.
The bullet is still in the victim’s leg, which causes pain to this day, prosecutors said. He continues to go to physical therapy.
Austin, a father of three, said he let his emotions get the best of him, losing his self-control and patience — something he said he is currently working on improving while in prison. He issued an apology to the victim, adding that he wants to take responsibility and have the opportunity to raise his sons the best he can.
Although Austin had a few prior arrests, he had never been convicted of a crime before.
Calling the crime a “horrible decision,” Judge Anthony George Kyriakakis sentenced Austin to four to eight years in prison, which was agreed upon by the prosecution and defense. He will get credit for time already served behind bars.