Charges reduced for the manager involved in Belleville McDonald’s shooting
The manager at a Belleville McDonald’s restaurant who has been accused of shooting the mother of an employee was released from custody following a pre-trial hearing Monday and is now a facing reduced charge.
Kathy M. Bledsoe, 44, of Cahokia Heights, still faces one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a class 4 felony, but allegations she had no valid Firearm Owner Identification Card have been removed.
The reduction in the seriousness of the charge likely will mean a lighter sentence if she is convicted, but to what extent isn’t clear.
The Belleville Police Department, in response to social media comments, issued a release on Saturday clarifying the nature of the charges against Bledsoe.
“It seems there is some confusion regarding the charges related to Kathy Bledsoe,” the release states. “She was charged with ‘Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon’, a class 4 felony, which relates to unlawful possession of a firearm. She was not charged with shooting Tynika McKinzie.”
Bledsoe was in court Monday because of a July 16 incident in which she shot the mother of one of the employees of the Belleville restaurant in the leg.
The girl’s mother, Tynika R. McKinzie, 35, also faces felony charges of aggravated battery, a class 3 felony, and mob action, a class 4 felony. Pretrial hearings have not yet been scheduled for McKinzie.
According to police reports, Bledsoe told the juvenile employee to take the trash out to the dumpster behind the restaurant at 125 South Belt East at about 4:45 p.m. When the employee refused, Bledsoe told her to clock out and leave.
The employee then called her mother, who showed up with another juvenile. Bledsoe and McKinzie argued in the lobby. Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan said McKinzie “battered Bledsoe in the face and head” and followed her 75 feet past the service counter to the manager’s office at the back of the restaurant.
Bledsoe retrieved a 9mm Smith & Wesson and shot McKinzie once in the leg. McKinzie was transported to a hospital and was in stable condition. Heffernan said she is cooperating with the investigation.
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
