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Sheriff’s Office Investigating Disturbance Involving Gun at Cantonment Whataburger Following Football Game
September 5, 2026
Deputies are investigating an altercation involving a firearm that forced a Cantonment fast food restaurant to shut down Friday night following a local high school football game.
Deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office 5th Precinct in Cantonment were dispatched to the Whataburger on Highway 29 around 10:30 p.m. for a reported shots-fired disturbance, according to Sgt. Melony Peterson.
The incident occurred shortly after the Tate High School Aggies hosted the Escambia Gators just over a mile away.
“Upon arrival, deputies found a large crowd of juveniles in the parking lots of Whataburger, Circle K, and the Ashley Medical Clinic,” Peterson said. “These juveniles had gathered here after the Tate High School game.”
Investigators quickly determined that a physical altercation had erupted inside the Whataburger dining room.
“An investigation determined that a fight occurred in Whataburger, which disrupted and trashed the business, resulting in the business having to close,” Peterson stated.
During the chaos, a weapon was produced.
“During this fight, a suspect, described as a juvenile black male with short dreads and wearing a green shirt, pulled a gun,” Peterson said. “The manager tackled the suspect to the ground, but the suspect escaped.”
Despite the initial report of gunfire, authorities confirmed no shots were fired during the incident.
“It was determined that the suspect did not fire the gun,” Peterson added, noting that “this incident was caught on camera and will be admitted into evidence when the corporation releases it.”
No major injuries were reported, and the search for the suspect remains ongoing.
Anyone with information or video is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 63-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Comments
8 Responses to “Sheriff’s Office Investigating Disturbance Involving Gun at Cantonment Whataburger Following Football Game”
A note to “kids”…I suggest you stop this garbage. One day, you’re going to draw on someone who is armed, and a self defense draw doesn’t stop for age verification.
Your mothers will weep.
Is there any wonder everyone is moving to santa rosa county?
Thank God no one was shot and high praise goes to the WHATABURGER manager who tackled the degenerate…with the easy available of weapons, the method of fighting has drastically elevated from fist-a-cuffs to guns, knives and other accessible weapons..
and don’t kid yourselves..THIS VIOLENCE CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AND ANY TIME!
Where are these kids getting these guns?????? Off the street or from mama and daddy? Hate to have a metal detector at every restaurant door.
@Lynda, guess you don’t read the news enough to know 95% of the drugs and drug trafficking arrests and “this type” of behavior is coming out of cantonment
Sure hope ESCO nips this in the bud. We don’t want this kind of behavior here. Kudos to the manager for his prompt and heroic action.
This makes me sick. Why is this happening more and more? Don’t bring that kind of behavior here to Cantonment. That is not what Cantonment is made of.
This is truly sad. That Whataburger has been a great hangout for Tate kids and God bless the staff and management for serving them all these years. I’m sure there’s plenty of blame to go around, for this fight and stupid behavior. But what a shame that our community has really gone down to this level, the business had to close.