Authorities in Ohio have detained a man following his dismissal from work earlier this summer, which led to a tragic act of revenge against his former supervisor.

Jonathan Morris, a 21-year-old, faces a murder charge as stated by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

The unfortunate event took place on August 29 in the parking lot of a Taco Bell located on Gest Road in Cincinnati’s Queensgate area, according to police reports.

Prosecutors allege that just after midnight, Morris fatally shot 32-year-old Ryan Johnson. This incident occurred a day after Morris was terminated from his job at that location.

“The impact on the community is profound,” prosecutor David Hickenlooper expressed to Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Tyrone Yates, according to a report from Cincinnati’s Fox affiliate WXIX. “It was a senseless act, and we believe Johnson was simply trying to assist.”

The prosecutor’s comments were in reference to the victim seemingly attempting to help the defendant, the TV station reported.

Instead, however, Morris killed Johnson outside the popular fast food establishment where both men worked, according to law enforcement. Police officers who arrived to reports of shots fired that night said they discovered Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.

At the time of the incident, Johnson was not in his Taco Bell uniform, police told WXIX. Rather, he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. No shell casings were found at the scene of the crime, police said. Investigators did, however, obtain a description of the suspect and the presumed motive for the killing from a witness or witnesses at the crime scene, authorities say.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court quickly assessed the evidence against the defendant and set bond at $500,000, records show.

The state, for its part, requested $2 million bond, WXIX reported.

The victim’s family had other ideas.

“He killed my grandson,” Johnson’s grandmother said at one point during the hearing – reportedly standing up to address the judge directly. “He doesn’t need to be out. He took a life.”

Morris is represented by a public defender in the case. On Thursday, the defense attorney said his client had only one prior contact with the criminal justice system — an allegation of which he was acquitted. Hamilton County court records show Morris was accused of aggravated robbery in September 2023 but acquitted in March 2024.

The defense attorney also said neither his client nor any member of his family has the money to pay for bond — and that Morris is the primary caregiver for his 1-year-old son. Morris and his son live with the defendant’s father, the defense attorney went on.

A police officer, however, said law enforcement searched the defendant’s father’s residence and never found him there – noting that it took investigators weeks to finally apprehend Morris.

Ultimately, the court split the difference.

Morris will have to pay the full $500,000 to make bond; typically defendants pay 10 percent of the amount to satisfy bond conditions. In the event that amount is paid, the defendant will be subject to 24/7 electronic monitoring and house arrest, the judge ruled.