Michigan – In a devastating workplace tragedy in Michigan, a 39-year-old single mother of six, identified as J. Harris, was fatally stabbed by her 26-year-old co-worker, identified as A. Muhammad, at a local fast food restaurant. The death came just moments after Harris had sent Muhammad home early for the third consecutive day due to combative behavior. Muhammad has been charged with first-degree murder and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
On the morning of the attack, around 8 a.m., Muhammad was again sent home by Harris, the shift manager at the fast food restaurant. Witnesses reported that Muhammad briefly left the store, went to her car, put on a mask, and returned with a kitchen knife. Without warning, she lunged at Harris and stabbed her repeatedly. A customer at the drive-thru witnessed the brutal attack and fired a shot into the air in an attempt to stop it, though no one was hit. Muhammad attempted to flee but was detained at the scene by the same customer until police arrived. Harris was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.
Police revealed that Muhammad had posted an emotional and angry video on social media just a day before the killing. In it, she complained that Harris was bullying her, sending her home early, and showing her disrespect. Muhammad accused Harris of “playing racial sh**,” gossiping about employees, and treating everyone like they were beneath her. Muhammad insisted in the video, “I don’t snap on people… I make peace. I’ve been creating peace.”
According to prosecutors, Muhammad’s frustration over reduced work hours had been building for days. The final confrontation erupted after repeated disciplinary actions from Harris, who had been managing the restaurant for 15 years and was struggling to support her six children on a modest salary. Muhammad had expressed in her online videos that she was trying to escape poverty. Ironically, both women shared the hardship of trying to rise above difficult circumstances, though Muhammad’s anger turned deadly. A bystander who witnessed the attack said Muhammad shouted that she would return, went to her car to retrieve the knife, and came back wearing a mask. “She started stabbing her, and I ran for help,” the witness recounted. “I tried to stop her – it was no stopping her. She stabbed her everywhere.”
During her arraignment on Friday, Muhammad faced charges of first-degree murder, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, and being a habitual offender, second offense. Bond was set at $25 million. Prosecutors revealed that Muhammad had a prior conviction for stabbing someone in another state, underscoring the severity of the current charges. Prosecutor P. Lucido emphasized the deep loss suffered by Harris’s family. “The victim leaves behind six children, six young lives that will now grow up without a parent. This isn’t just a statistic; this is a family shattered, a future forever altered,” Lucido said. The children’s father is incarcerated, leaving the six children without either parent in the wake of the tragedy. If convicted, Muhammad faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The murder has shaken the local community, particularly those who knew Harris as a hard-working mother doing her best to support her family. The restaurant where the tragedy unfolded has since been closed, with management and employees grappling with the trauma of losing a colleague and friend to such senseless violence. Authorities continue to investigate the full details of the incident, but one thing is clear: a family and a community have been left forever scarred by an outburst of rage that turned deadly.
