The Fort Wayne Police Department has released additional information, including a video, about the Tim Hortons, 3675 Ice Way, Fort Wayne, Indiana, incident that occurred May 13, 2026.
Fort Wayne Police Department incident report:
Original date of incident: May 13, 2026
Location: Tim Horton’s, 3975 Ice Way, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Time: 0813 hours
Update: May 19, 2026
The Fort Wayne Police Department recognizes that any loss of life is tragic. When the circumstances surrounding a death are not immediately clear, those circumstances must be thoroughly and professionally investigated.
Following the incident that occurred at the Tim Hortons on May 13, 2026, involving 75-year-old Anita Grayson and a store employee, FWPD Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene personnel conducted a full death investigation. Detectives interviewed witnesses, collected and reviewed surveillance video, gathered evidence, and fully documented the scene. The Allen County Coroner’s Office was contacted, and an autopsy was requested. At this time, the cause and manner of death remain pending. The completed investigative file was sent to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office for review on May 19, 2026.
FWPD initially released limited information about this case out of respect for Ms. Grayson’s family and in an effort to avoid causing additional distress following the tragic loss of a loved one. However, a dangerously false narrative, along with poor-quality video circulating publicly, has led to significant public concern and misinformation. For that reason, and because it is in the public interest, FWPD is releasing the facts of the case along with a clear and complete video of the events that occurred inside Tim Hortons.
These are the facts:
At approximately 8:09 a.m., Ms. Grayson entered the Tim Hortons to address an issue with an order she had received through the drive-thru. Once inside, Ms. Grayson began berating a 17-year-old female employee. A 20-year-old shift lead then stepped between Ms. Grayson and the juvenile employee and repeatedly told Ms. Grayson to leave the business.
Ms. Grayson then appeared to move around the shift lead toward the juvenile employee. The shift lead placed her hands against Ms. Grayson in an apparent effort to prevent her from reaching the juvenile employee. Ms. Grayson then forcefully shoved the shift lead backward. At 8:12 a.m. Ms. Grayson then struck the shift lead on the left side of the nose with her right hand.
At that point, the shift lead reacted and moved toward Ms. Grayson while swinging her arms in an attempt to strike her. During the physical altercation, Ms. Grayson grabbed at the shift lead’s face, leaving scratches and knocking off her glasses. Ms. Grayson then grabbed the shift lead by the hair and pulled her to the ground and rolled on top of her. The shift lead can be seen swatting at Grayson’s arm as she is being held by her hair. Two Tim Hortons employees moved in and attempted to separate them but struggled to get the shift lead’s hair out of Grayson’s hand. During the struggle, Ms. Grayson pulled a chunk of hair from the shift lead’s head leaving a raw area on the top of her head.
The parties eventually separated. The shift lead’s hair can be seen falling from Ms. Grayson’s hand onto the floor. The employees retreated behind the counter, and Ms. Grayson sat down at a table and began speaking on her cellphone. At one point, Ms. Grayson picked up the shift lead’s hair from the floor and placed it into her bag.
At 8:22 a.m. Ms. Grayson laid down on the floor. The shift lead noticed and went to check on her, bringing her a cup of water. An additional employee also checked on Ms. Grayson as she laid on the floor. A FWPD officer then arrived and found Ms. Grayson unresponsive.
Medics arrived and began life-saving measures. Ms. Grayson was transported from the scene and was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.
FWPD understands the public concern surrounding this case. We also recognize the importance of transparency, accuracy, and allowing the investigative and prosecutorial review process to proceed based on the full body of evidence, not incomplete video clips or inaccurate public narratives.
The video:
Download the FWPD news release.
View other posts on this incident.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
All information is preliminary and subject to change during the course of the investigation.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Fort Wayne Police Department at 427-1201, Crime Stoppers at 436-7867, or use the free “P3 Tips” app.
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