In the summer of 2022, a workplace dispute at a popular North Myrtle Beach restaurant escalated into a fatal shooting, cutting short the life of 26-year-old Quentin Johnson. The incident, which unfolded at Nacho Hippo, led to the arrest and eventual conviction of his coworker, Lafredia Todd.
On the evening of July 28, 2022, tensions between Johnson and Todd culminated in a violent confrontation. Todd, after clocking out from her shift, remained at the restaurant.
She retrieved a firearm and, following an altercation with Johnson, shot him. Johnson, a resident of Loris and a father of two, was rushed to Grand Strand Medical Center. He succumbed to his injuries three days later, on July 31, 2022.
Following the shooting, Todd herself called 911 and informed the dispatcher of what had transpired, directing police to her location behind a nearby Cracker Barrel. She was taken into custody by the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, and the initial charge of attempted murder was upgraded to murder upon Johnson's death.
During the subsequent investigation and trial, differing accounts of the events leading up to the shooting emerged. Todd's defense attorneys argued that she acted in self-defense, claiming that Johnson had repeatedly threatened her and that she feared for her life. They asserted that on the night of the shooting, another threat had been made.
The prosecution, however, painted a different picture for the jury. They presented evidence and testimony suggesting that Todd was the aggressor. In January 2025, a jury found Lafredia Todd guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. She was sentenced to 36 years in prison for the murder charge and a concurrent five years for the weapon charge. In the aftermath of the criminal trial, Johnson's girlfriend filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Nacho Hippo, alleging that the restaurant was negligent and that more could have been done to prevent the tragedy.
