A 7-Eleven employee in Hollywood, California has been declared brain dead after allegedly being assaulted by her manager during a shift, according to her family.
Jessica McLaughlin, in her 20s, was nearing the end of her June 24 shift when an argument broke out between her and an assistant manager at the store, her brother Sean McLaughlin told KTLA. The verbal confrontation quickly turned violent, prompting a call to the Los Angeles Police Department for a felony battery report.
When officers arrived, they found Jessica unconscious on the store floor. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors later informed the family that she had suffered irreversible brain damage due to lack of oxygen.
“She’s brain dead,” Sean said. “Doctors are only keeping her on life support until funeral arrangements can be made.”
The family believes the attack occurred after the manager threw a bottle at Jessica, then pinned her to the ground and cut off her air supply, ultimately causing her to lose consciousness. According to Sean, coworkers reported that the manager straddled Jessica during the assault and later attempted to destroy surveillance footage before fleeing the scene on a bicycle.
Police have not publicly confirmed these specific allegations, and as of Monday, no arrests had been made. The LAPD says the investigation is ongoing and the suspect remains at large.
Jessica had reportedly shared with her family prior to the incident that she was being bullied at work.
Sean recounted the harrowing incident in a GoFundMe created to help with funeral and medical expenses. “She was violently and senselessly attacked by one of her managers,” he wrote. “She was held down, sat on top of, and not allowed to breathe. Some coworkers tried to stop it and were attacked too. When Jessica finally got free, she collapsed. She wasn’t breathing.”
Despite coworkers’ attempts to revive her with CPR, it was too late.
“Doctors and detectives confirmed what we already knew — Jessica did nothing wrong. She was a victim,” Sean said. He described his sister as “his rock” — someone who made others feel loved and safe. “She had a beautiful soul and deserved so much more than what happened to her.”
Jessica’s family is now preparing to take her off life support and planning a service to honor her life.
In a statement, 7-Eleven said: “Our hearts are with those impacted during this difficult time. The suspect has been terminated, and we continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement in their investigation.”
