NEWS: Beech Grove KFC fires employee for saving life of co-worker who was shot in the head

Seventeen-year-old Drew Gardner will not be fulfilling his Saturday shift at the KFC on South Emerson Avenue, or any future shifts for that matter. Gardner claims that he was terminated for speaking out about his heroic actions after a colleague was shot while on duty.

Just Wednesday night, Gardner was basking in the satisfaction of potentially saving his coworker's life. However, his joy was short-lived as he now finds himself sitting on his couch contemplating why he no longer holds a job.

"I was a bit bummed out because I consider most of those people there my friends, but I feel like, I don't know, it feels like a bit of a betrayal in a sense," expressed Gardner.

The incident occurred at the KFC in Beech Grove on Tuesday, where police reported that Gardner's colleague was shot in the head by a former employee. Surprisingly, it wasn't until Thursday afternoon that Gardner's mother noticed the restaurant had reopened.

"When I went in there, I did approach her to talk privately in the back to go over some things about what happened. She refused to go in the back. We had to do it in the lobby in front of customers. It did get heated between her and I, and questions were not answered," recounted Trisha Sears, Gardner's mom.

The tense exchange between Sears and the general manager prompted her to contact the police. According to Sears, the officer retrieved paperwork for Drew's worker's compensation and conveyed that her son was no longer needed at the job, citing it as trespassing.

Despite Gardner's disappointment over losing his job, he firmly believes he made the right decision. "Like, I feel like a life is worth more than a job. So I'd rather lose my job than have him die," he stated.

In response to the situation, a KFC spokesperson issued a statement on Friday afternoon clarifying that the restaurant is operated by an independent franchisee, responsible for its own employment decisions. According to the franchisee, Gardner remains employed at the restaurant and has not been terminated. The spokesperson expressed the deep impact of the tragedy on all team members and assured full cooperation with authorities in their ongoing investigation.