A 24-year-old 7-Eleven employee died after being removed from life support following a brutal attack by her manager at a Los Angeles convenience store on June 24. Jessica McLaughlin was declared brain dead after the altercation at the store located in the 5700 block of Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene around 2:15 p.m. on June 24 after receiving reports of a battery. Officers found McLaughlin unconscious on the floor of the store and she was immediately transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
According to police, the incident began as a verbal dispute between McLaughlin and her female manager inside the store that escalated into a physical confrontation. The manager has not been identified by authorities and remains at large. The suspect was terminated from her position, according to a company statement.
McLaughlin’s brother Sean described the attack in a GoFundMe campaign established to cover funeral expenses. He indicated that the manager held his sister down and sat on top of her, preventing her from breathing. When coworkers attempted to intervene and stop the assault, they were also attacked, according to the family’s account.
The family alleges that after McLaughlin collapsed and coworkers began performing CPR, the manager ran to the back office to attempt to delete security footage before fleeing the scene on her bicycle. McLaughlin told coworkers to call 911, stating she could not breathe, before losing consciousness.
McLaughlin was transported to Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital where she remained on life support for eight days. Her father, Clancey McLaughlin, told media outlets that his daughter’s brain was deprived of oxygen for more than 10 minutes, resulting in irreversible brain damage.
After consulting with medical professionals and obtaining second opinions, the family made the difficult decision to remove McLaughlin from life support on July 2. She was pronounced dead at 10:34 a.m. that day. The case was subsequently transferred to the LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide Unit for investigation.
Detectives have obtained video evidence of the incident from the store’s security cameras but have not released the footage to the public. The investigation remains active as authorities continue searching for the suspect. No arrests have been made in connection with McLaughlin’s death.
Lieutenant Sean Kinchla of the West Bureau Homicide Unit indicated that the case is classified as a death investigation while authorities await final autopsy results from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death.
Kinchla noted that while investigators know an altercation occurred, they cannot determine whether it directly caused McLaughlin’s death until the autopsy is complete. He described the situation as “a waiting game” with no timeline available for when the medical examiner’s results will be released.
The GoFundMe campaign established by Sean McLaughlin has raised more than $40,000 toward its $50,000. In the campaign description, he described his sister as someone who made people feel safe and accepted. Sean McLaughlin wrote, “She had such a beautiful soul and deserved so much better than the way her life was taken from her.”
He characterized his sister as a daughter, best friend, and beloved aunt who had been his support system during the five years they lived together. The family is using the donations to provide McLaughlin with what they describe as the memorial service she deserves.
7-Eleven Inc. issued a statement expressing sympathy for those affected by the incident. The company confirmed that the suspect has been terminated and emphasized their full cooperation with the ongoing law enforcement investigation.
The LAPD is requesting anyone with information about the incident to contact Operations West Bureau Homicide detectives at (213) 473-9470. After-hours information can be provided at (877) 527-3247, and anonymous tips can be submitted to LA Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.