Police said the pair were innocent bystanders waiting in a car when gunfire broke out.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — A father and his 11-year-old daughter were hospitalized Saturday after they were shot while sitting in a car outside a McDonald’s during a parking lot confrontation, Hallandale Beach police said.
The shooting happened around 1:35 p.m. outside the restaurant in the 800 block of West Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Police said the girl and her father were not part of the dispute and were struck when shots were exchanged nearby. Investigators were still searching for at least one suspect Saturday evening.
The family had just arrived at the McDonald’s when the girl’s mother went inside to pick up food, police said. The father and daughter stayed in the vehicle. Moments later, investigators said, an altercation began in the parking lot between other people. Gunfire followed, striking both the man and the child. Hallandale Beach police Capt. Megan Jones said the victims were “two innocent bystanders involved in a situation that had nothing to do with them.”
Both victims were taken to a local hospital. Police said the girl was conscious and alert after the shooting and was expected to undergo surgery. The father was also hospitalized, and officials said both were in stable condition. Authorities did not immediately release their names. Police said the mother ran outside after hearing the gunfire and found that her husband and daughter had been shot.
Investigators said the shooting appeared to stem from an ambush in the parking lot. Jones said one person appeared to arrive at the McDonald’s while others were waiting there. Police said gunfire was exchanged after that encounter. Investigators also said they believed one of the people involved may have been a McDonald’s employee, though officials did not immediately detail that person’s role or say whether that employee had been detained.
The shooting drew a large police response to the busy commercial stretch of Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Detectives reviewed surveillance video from the restaurant and nearby businesses while officers searched the area. Police also went door to door as they looked for the suspect and gathered information from witnesses. The Broward Sheriff’s Office said Hallandale Beach police were leading the investigation.
No arrests had been announced by Saturday evening. Police did not immediately release a suspect description or say how many people fired weapons. Investigators were working to determine what led to the confrontation, who was targeted and whether the gunfire came from one or multiple weapons. Officials said the father and daughter appeared to have no connection to the people involved in the dispute.
The shooting left customers and nearby residents shaken as police blocked off the restaurant area and marked evidence in the parking lot. Witnesses described a sudden burst of gunfire followed by confusion as people ran or ducked for cover. Jones said detectives were focused on finding everyone involved and piecing together the moments before the shots were fired.
As of Saturday night, the father and daughter remained hospitalized in stable condition, and the search for the suspect continued. Police said the next step is reviewing video, interviewing witnesses and identifying the people involved in the parking lot confrontation.
Author note: Last updated June 27, 2026.