Undone by McNuggets

Photo: The Canadian Press

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams 

Facebook slaying suspect Steve Stephens was undone by a 20-piece Chicken McNuggets and an order of fries.

The man who police say shot a Cleveland retiree at random and posted video of the killing on Facebook pulled up to the drive-thru window of a McDonald's restaurant outside Erie, Penn., and waited for his order.

The attendant who took his money recognized the suspect and dialed 911. Stephens pulled up to the next window, where restaurant owner Thomas DuCharme Jr. and a supervisor tried stalling him by telling him his fries were delayed.

Stephens didn't want to wait. He took his McNuggets and whipped out of the parking lot, nearly hitting Gail Wheeler, 54, a retail operations manager from Erie who was on her way home from the grocery store.

"Two seconds later, I hear these sirens, and they come whipping past me," she told The Associated Press.

One of the pursuing troopers hit Stephens' bumper to get him to stop. 

Police were starting to get out of their cruisers when "I heard a shot. It was loud and distinctive," Wheeler said.

"The next thing I know, they're approaching the car. The one officer just shook his head. He was closest to the car. ... They had their guns out but when he shook his head, they lowered their guns."

State police Major William Teper Jr. said the trooper who bumped Stephens' car "saw him pull the gun out and shoot himself."