A 27-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a co-worker at a McDonald’s in Sundre, Alta.
RCMP officials say 19-year-old Josh Burns was found dead shortly after midnight on July 4 when officers responded to reports of a homicide at a local business.
Soleiman Elbeta, 27, has been charged with first-degree murder.
CTV News has learned that both the victim and the accused were on shift at the time of the death, but there were no customers or witnesses in the restaurant at the time.
Additionally, CTV News has learned that the crime is not believed to be gang or drug related.
RCMP say the accused was arrested near the crime scene and are fully cooperating.
Both Burns and Elbeta are residents of Sundre, a town about 100 kilometers north of Calgary, but neither is a native of the town.
Friends of the deceased confirmed that Burns was from the town of Innisfail but had moved to Sundre for work. He had been working at McDonald’s for about a month after leaving his job at Integra Tire.
As of Monday night, the McDonald’s in Sundre had a sign in the window saying it was closed and the entrance was cordoned off with crime scene tape. The restaurant remained closed on Tuesday.
McDonald’s Canada issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon on behalf of the franchisee:
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic situation that occurred at our restaurant in Sundre. We are fully cooperating with the RCMP in their investigation. In addition, support services will be provided to all employees in this restaurant.
“Given that this is an active investigation, we will not be making any further comment at this time.”
Elbeta remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Canmore Provincial Court on Wednesday.
Health and Safety at Work confirmed they are investigating the death but say as the investigation is active, no further information will be released.
BURNS REMEMBERED AS ‘KIND’
Josh Burns, 19, was found dead inside a McDonald’s store in Sundre, Alta. on the 4th of July. (Facebook) Burns’ friends remember the young man fondly, as does Mikayla Brown, a former McDonald’s employee who says she saw Burns every morning.
“It was just silly fun,” she said. “He would tell me what he did the night before, what his plans were for the day after work and (was) always in a good mood.
“Josh was a cutie and a lot of us cared about him,” Brown said. “This shouldn’t have happened and I hope we get some justice for Josh.”
Burns worked next door at Integra Tire before taking a job at McDonald’s in early June.
Integra Tire owner Connie Anderson says he’s been very supportive of his co-workers.
“It’s disgusting to watch it happen,” Anderson said. “He had a good heart.”
For Brown, she says she was devastated when she learned of Burns’ death.
“I don’t understand how this could happen. We’re a small town and we don’t expect things like this all the time.”
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