Wow, Uber just can’t catch a break. The company just settled the Waymo suit, a huge win for CEO Dara Khosrowshahi who made it clear in a statement that he’s not afraid to clean up the mess Travis Kalanick created, and turn Uber into a company with a different mindset. But Khosrowshahi’s Uber has just received a huge blow, as an Uber Eats driver has allegedly shot and killed a customer during a delivery. This may mark a worrying new low for the company.
It all happened in Atlanta, Georgia, where an Uber Eats driver allegedly shot a customer multiple times during a food delivery. The 30-year-old man died from multiple gunshot-inflicted injuries, NBC affiliate WSBTV says. A neighbor said that he heard five gunshots go off outside the victim’s apartment. Ryan Thornton died soon after at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Police said that Thornton received his food order by 11:30 PM, and walked away from the delivery car. Words may have been exchanged, the police say, and that’s when the shooting is said to have occurred. The driver, who hasn’t yet been identified, took off in a white Volkswagen.
Uber said in a statement that it’s shocked and saddened, and the company is working with the police on the matter. Uber drivers aren’t allowed to carry guns, per the company’s policy. But as Gizmodo points out, it’s unknown if the company ever conducts random checks to see if drivers comply with the rule.
