Employee in BG shopping center speaks out after fatal shooting

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- A teen is dead and a man is in custody after authorities say a dispute led to gunfire Saturday in Bowling Green.

Shots rang out in the parking lot of a shopping center on Campbell Lane.

“We didn’t hear anything,” said Jayce Clayton, an employee of a restaurant in the shopping center.

Clayton was at work at Cheddar’s in the shopping center area when police say the altercation began.

Authorities say 24-year-old Treonte Patterson shot 17-year-old Michael Whitfield multiple times in the parking lot near Kroger and a barbershop, where community members were actively shopping and going to their cars.

“Just a normal day. The host talks over the walkie talkie and she asks for a manager and says that Kroger had just called us and said that there was a shooting and that the shooter was headed towards Cheddar’s,” Jayce said.

While many were unaware of the situation at hand, he said his job was locked down completely to ensure the safety of their staff and customers.

“At that point, that was when the managers went and locked all of the doors, and we didn’t let anyone in or out,” he said.

However, with chaos erupting at what started from a barbershop to the parking lot, many did not hear the gunshots, Jayce said.

“The servers had asked the people sitting right next to the door if they heard anything and they both said no,” Jayce explained.

He said he is thankful for the safety protocols in place. However, that experience is one he will never forget.

“Servers were more kind of scared that he was going to come to us because Kroger had called us, and we didn’t know if they had called anybody else around,” Jayce said.

Detectives said there was an altercation with Patterson and Whitfield before Patterson allegedly shot Whitfield. Whitfield was rushed to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. 

Jayce said though this was an isolated incident, extra safety precautions should be placed at the shopping center.

“It doesn’t necessarily change me going to work at all because we have that procedure but it does kind of worry me because you know there definitely are people like that, that can still be in that area,” he said.

News 40 reached out to Kroger about the investigation and they responded saying ,”We are not able to comment on an open investigation.”

Patterson’s preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 2. We will keep following this story for you.