McDonald's CEO , Blames Parents for Deaths, of Jaslyn Adams and Adam Toledo.<br />ABC News reports that in a text exchange with <br />Mayor Lori Lightfoot, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski appeared to blame the parents of two young children who were recently shot to death in Chicago.<br />ABC News reports that in a text exchange with <br />Mayor Lori Lightfoot, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski appeared to blame the parents of two young children who were recently shot to death in Chicago.<br />7-year-old Jaslyn Adams lost her life when a hail of gunfire was directed at her family's vehicle <br />as it sat idle in a McDonald's drive-thru lane.<br />This tragedy occurred while the city was still mourning the loss of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, fatally shot by a Chicago police officer on March 29.<br />According to ABC Chicago WLS-TV, the CEO's <br />text exchange with Lightfoot read: <br />"With both, the parents failed those kids...".<br />The comment sparked immediate <br />accusations of victim-shaming and racism.<br />Protesters descended upon McDonald's headquarters on Oct. 3, organized by labor advocacy group Fight for 15 Chicago.<br />Protesters descended upon McDonald's headquarters on Oct. 3, organized by labor advocacy group Fight for 15 Chicago.<br />As the leader of the largest fast-food corporation, Mr. Kempczinski has <br />a responsibility to do much better for <br />Black and Brown communities <br />than add on to racist stereotypes. , Fight for 15 Chicago, via Twitter.<br />Kempczinski acknowledged the <br />exchange with Lightfoot in a note to <br />McDonald's corporate employees.<br />I was thinking through <br />my lens as a parent <br />and reacted viscerally. , Chris Kempczinski, CEO McDonald's, via statement to McDonald's corporate employees.<br />The CEO lamented the "senseless surge in gun violence that is affecting so many children," and attempted to show he had learned from his mistake.<br />Not taking the time to think <br />about this from their viewpoint <br />was wrong, and lacked the empathy <br />and compassion I feel for these families. This is a lesson that I will carry with me, Chris Kempczinski, CEO McDonald's, via statement to McDonald's corporate employees
