A 20-year-old woman is charged after police said gunfire followed an argument over a food order.

SPANISH LAKE, Mo. — A 20-year-old woman has been charged with first-degree murder after police said she fired into a Steak ’n Shake drive-thru during a food-order dispute, killing employee Chauncia Meekins and wounding another worker.

Jada Bell, of St. Louis County, is accused of killing Meekins, 32, on April 8 at the restaurant in the 11000 block of Bellefontaine Road. The case moved from an unsolved late-night shooting to a murder prosecution April 20, when county prosecutors filed six felony counts. Police said the confrontation was recorded by restaurant surveillance cameras and tied to Bell through cellphone location evidence.

The shooting happened about 11:35 p.m., while Meekins was working the drive-thru window. Investigators said Bell arrived in a white SUV and began arguing with employees about her order. Family members said the dispute centered on onion rings. Police said Bell threw a drink cup at Meekins, and Meekins threw a drink back. Moments later, according to the probable cause statement, Bell pulled a handgun and fired several rounds toward the drive-thru area. Meekins was struck multiple times and died at the restaurant. A second employee, whose name has not been released, was shot in the hand and taken to a hospital with injuries police described as not life-threatening. Tamela Washington, Meekins’ mother, said she had spoken with her daughter earlier that day about her birthday and a favorite meal.

The charges against Bell include first-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action. St. Louis County police said the unlawful use count involves shooting at or from a motor vehicle at a person, vehicle or building, resulting in death or injury. Bell was being held in the St. Louis County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond with no 10% option. Police said the white SUV, surveillance footage and Bell’s cellphone location were key parts of the investigation. Spectrum News reported that Col. Kenneth Lohr of the St. Louis County Police Department said DNA evidence and witness identification also played a role. “Nothing we can do will bring her back,” Lohr said. “We do hope this provides a sense of justice.”

The arrest came nearly two weeks after Meekins’ family had gathered at the restaurant and asked why a routine shift had ended in gunfire. At first, police said the shooter had not been arrested and released few details about the vehicle or person involved. Meekins’ relatives described her as warm, funny and hard-working. Washington said her daughter had been at the Steak ’n Shake for only about three months and was preparing to turn 33 on April 23. “Instead of celebrating her birthday, I will be burying my daughter,” Washington said in an earlier interview. She also said Meekins was “loving, caring, friendly” and would help others when she could. The restaurant sits in Spanish Lake, an unincorporated area in north St. Louis County, where the late-night shooting drew a heavy police response and left the drive-thru window damaged.

Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty. Meekins’ cousin, Anthony Willhite, told KMOV that relatives supported pursuing it “but not for revenge,” saying the family wanted to set an example against senseless violence. Under Missouri law, first-degree murder can carry a sentence of death or life in prison without probation or parole, but a death sentence requires additional findings. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and prosecutors must prove the charges in court. Bell’s next court date was listed for April 28 in St. Louis County. The court process is expected to include bond issues, discovery, possible motions over evidence and, if the case does not resolve, a trial date set later by a judge.

For Meekins’ family, the court case began while grief was still fresh. Relatives said they learned about Bell’s arrest while attending a vigil for Meekins outside the same restaurant where she was killed. The gathering put family grief beside the scene of the crime: candles, memories and questions near the drive-thru lane where police said the shooting started with a complaint over food. Washington said she kept thinking about the phone call she had with her daughter only hours before the shooting. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I just talked to my daughter.” She said the two had talked about Meekins’ birthday plans, and she could not understand why anyone would shoot fast-food workers during an argument over an order.

Police said the case remains with the department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons. The known evidence includes video from inside or around the restaurant, the alleged path of Bell’s cellphone near the Steak ’n Shake at the time of the shooting and accounts from people connected to the scene. Officials have not publicly released the name of the injured worker or a full account of what each camera angle shows. They also have not said whether the gun has been recovered. Bell’s charging documents describe a fast sequence of thrown drinks and gunfire, but the trial record will determine which evidence a jury may hear. The restaurant chain has not been central to the criminal filings, which focus on Bell’s alleged actions from the SUV.

The death of Meekins also renewed attention to violence against service workers, especially those working late-night shifts with brief, tense contact at drive-thru windows. Police and prosecutors framed the case as a criminal act, not as a workplace-policy matter. St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price-Smith said officials need to work with the community and speak with young people to prevent violence before it reaches a point of disaster. Her remarks came as county officials announced the charges and tried to explain how an order dispute became a homicide. For Meekins’ family, the broader message was personal. Willhite said the shooting could have happened to anyone in a public place, including a store, gas station or restaurant.

The next milestone listed in the case was Bell’s April 28 court appearance, where bond and early procedural issues were expected to be addressed. Bell remained jailed as the murder case moved forward, and Meekins’ relatives continued preparing for court dates and memorials.

Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.