TacoBell Murder: Another senseless death by toxic masculinity and gun culture.

Toxic Masculinity Kills Again: The Taco Bell Victims

Ohio is in mourning after a young woman, Megan Keleman, was murdered by a man, Jason Williams, in a horrific display of toxic masculinity. This apparent murder-suicide is yet another example of the deadly consequences of male entitlement and gun violence.

Warning: this story contains mention of suicide and domestic abuse. Resources for support can be found at the end.

Trigger Warning: Gun Violence, Male Entitlement, Misogyny

The Horror at Taco Bell

On Wednesday, at 7:19 p.m., a Taco Bell employee called the Stow Police to report a car accident in the drive-thru. Chief Jeffrey Film, in a news conference on Thursday, relayed that as officers responded, multiple 911 calls came in reporting a shooting at the same location.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene: Williams exited his vehicle, approached Keleman's car, and shot her. He then turned the gun on himself. The Summit County Medical Examiner identified the victims as 25-year-old Megan Keleman and 53-year-old Jason Williams, both from Stow.

The Deadly Toxins of Masculinity

The motivation for this horrific act remains unknown. Detectives are scrambling to understand why Williams targeted Keleman. According to Film, there is no indication that the two knew each other prior to this incident.

Here's what we do know:

• Williams became agitated when Keleman pulled in front of him, honking his horn aggressively.
• He then collided with her vehicle, after which Keleman, fearing for her safety, asked the Taco Bell employee to call 911.
• Moments later, Williams shot Keleman and then himself.

Chief Film, in a statement, acknowledged the profound tragedy of the incident: "Not only did the Kelemans lose a daughter, but we as a community lost one of our daughters... We may never know why."

The Stolen Light of Megan Keleman

Megan Keleman's family, in a statement read by Stow Police Lt. Heather Prusha, requested privacy as they grieved the loss of their beloved daughter.

"In light of recent events, our family is enduring an immensely painful loss of Megan Elizabeth Keleman. We appreciate the community support and hope that our request for privacy will be honored so that we can continue to focus on supporting each other through this difficult period."

Megan was a recent graduate of Cleveland State University, holding a master's in business administration and a bachelor's in finance and financial management services. She dedicated her life to advocating for children and working as a bookkeeper for Shelter Care Inc., supporting children with emotional and behavioral problems.

During the shooting, Megan's dog was in the car with her. The dog has been reunited with Megan's family and is helping them heal during this difficult time.

A Community in Shock

Stow, Ohio, is reeling from this sudden eruption of violence. Chief Film emphasized that Stow "does not have that many homicides," making this incident all the more shocking and tragic. The Stow Police Department has reached out to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for support, determined to understand how and why this happened.

The last homicide in Stow occurred five or six years ago, and the community prides itself on its safety. This senseless act of violence has shaken its sense of security to its core.

The Fallout

Taco Bell, in a statement to the Akron Beacon Journal, expressed their priority for the well-being of their team and confirmed that the franchise owner is cooperating with authorities. They shared their shock and offered support to team members impacted by this traumatic event.

Resources:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

The System is Complicit

While our hearts break for Megan and her family, we cannot ignore the toxic mix of gun violence and toxic masculinity that led to this tragedy. It's past time to address the systemic issues that enable men to see women as objects of their entitlement, and guns as an acceptable means of asserting dominance and control.

We must do better.

Rest in power, Megan Keleman.