Daughter of manager who was killed at Eastpointe McDonald’s speaks at restaurant where it happened

Community mourns 39-year-old Jennifer Harris

EASTPOINTE, Mich. – A vigil was held to honor the mother of six who was killed at the McDonald’s location where she worked.

Jennifer Harris, 39, was a manager at the McDonald’s at 17921 E. 9 Mile Road in Eastpointe, and an employee she had sent home from work is accused of stabbing her to death.

Read more: Everything we know about deadly stabbing at McDonald’s in Eastpointe

Members of Harris’ family spoke at the vigil, including Antonia Griffin, one of her daughters.

You can watch what Antonia said during the vigil in the video at the top of this article.

“My mama was good. My mama was so good.

It’s hard to sit right here, stand right here and talk about her. I never-- This was never a thought. We never got to none of this. Never even discussed death or what would happen when she was not here with us.

I don’t even know if my siblings understand what’s going on. It’s so hard to even see them cry. I don’t want to break down in front of them and cry in front of them because it hurts them. I got to be strong for my siblings.

My mom would be proud of us, all of us, for even just standing here today; for not being angry. For still choosing peace.

My mama worked hard every single day, like I said. My mama wouldn’t even have been at McDonald’s if it wasn’t for us. My mama, like I said, she was only there for us. She left, she came back. She was tired. Yes, she was tired, and she still woke up everyday.

My mama left and came back, and I was the one who told her to come back to McDonald’s, because it worked out for our family, it worked out for us, and she was happy here. She was a manager.

I remember when I first started working at McDonald’s, my mama came to work with me, and we was working together for so long at a different franchise.

These past couple days, all I can think of is seeing my mama in there, doing her job...being attacked by somebody that she trusted.

All I can do is think. That’s all I have to be doing; my mind is completely gone. I don’t know what to think."

Antonia Griffin, Daugher of Jennifer Harris

Antonia also read a message from her father during the vigil:

“First, I would like to thank every American who donated out of the kindness of their heart to help our family in our time of need. I would like to thank God for blessing my siblings and I with a mother like ours. She was the best.

Last but not least, I would like to say that life is short and we need to stop the hate and division in this country because it brings the worst out of us and leads to senseless acts like this.

This is the United States of America and were supposed to be an example to the rest of the world on how to treat and love one another."

Message from father of Antonia Harris

As Antonita finished reading her father’s letter, she broke down in tears and said, “There was times where I didn’t even want to be here in America.”

She continued and said, “This is what my mama would want me to do, my mama would want me to be here with my siblings. I can’t just shut down, I can’t power off my phone. I can’t just live my own life no more, I gotta be here for my mama and just take over. I gotta be strong for my mama, even though I don’t want to. I just want to be back with my mama. My mama wanted to live. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to be here with us. She wanted me to be here with us.”

“I don’t even want to be here no more,” Griffin said. “I want to be with my mama.”

Harris’ mother, Hazel Johnson, the owner of the McDonald’s location, Yusef Alcodray, Eastpointe Mayor Michael Klinefelt, and Dr. Tenisia Evans, Senior Pastor of Divine Restoration Ministries, also spoke at the vigil.

A GoFundMe has been created to support the six children of Jennifer Harris.

--> Fundraiser started for 6 children of McDonald’s manager killed in Eastpointe

Afeni Badu Muhammad, 26, of Eastpointe, has been charged with first-degree murder, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and being a habitual offender, second offense.

She was issued a $25 million bond and is expected to be in court again for a probable cause conference on July 23.


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