In what was described by prosecutors as a dangerous game between friends, 19-year-old Harry Bowers was fatally shot inside a McDonald's bathroom in Blue Springs, Missouri, on the evening of Monday, November 9, 2020. Officers responded to a shots fired call at the restaurant on Highway 7 at approximately 7:15 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Bowers with gunshot wounds.
He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation revealed that Bowers and his friends were hanging out at the McDonald's where one of them worked. According to the man charged in the shooting, 20-year-old Joseph Mayes, the incident was an accident. Mayes told investigators that while he was at the urinal, Bowers came up behind him, placed a gun against his stomach, and 'pulled the trigger to hear it click.' Mayes said he then drew his own gun, pointed it at Bowers, and pulled the trigger, not realizing there was a round in the chamber. Prosecutors stated that this was a 'game' the two frequently played.
After the shooting, Mayes fled the scene, telling his friends that he had accidentally shot Bowers. He went to his uncle's house, who persuaded him to turn himself in to the police. Mayes was subsequently charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. Two other individuals who were with Bowers and Mayes were also taken into custody, though it is not clear if they faced any charges. When detectives informed Mayes of his friend's death, he reportedly began to cry.
