DONKEY: Taco Bell Employee Fatally Shoots Manager After Being Fired

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – "Donkey of the Day: Taco Bell Employee Fatally Shoots Manager After Being Fired"

Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God

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Episode Overview

This episode’s “Donkey of the Day” segment, led by Charlamagne Tha God, dives into a tragic news story out of Ohio: a 21-year-old former Taco Bell employee, Jonathan Morris, fatally shot his manager, Ryan Johnson, the day after being fired. The hosts use the shocking incident to discuss themes of impulse control, mental health, and the escalation of workplace disputes, all with their characteristic blend of humor, real talk, and social commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident Recap

[03:00] Charlamagne introduces the “Donkey of the Day,” naming Jonathan Morris, a young man who, after being fired from Taco Bell, returned and shot his manager. He plays a news clip with the basic facts:

• Shooting occurred outside a Taco Bell in Queensgate, Cincinnati.
• The manager (Ryan Johnson) died at the scene.
• Police are investigating; no arrests or weapon found at the moment.

2. Handling Job Loss

[03:55] Charlamagne shares personal stories of being fired—seven times, four from radio—emphasizing that retaliation was never an option:

“I was fired rightfully so, okay? I was late. That’s not funny. It is funny, but it is not. ... Not once did I think about reacting the way Jonathan Morris did.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [04:19]

3. The Escalation and Its Tragedy

Charlamagne is incredulous at the rapid escalation from job loss to violence, reflecting on Morris’s probable mental breakdown and the temporary feelings that led to a permanent act:

“Another permanent decision made from temporary feelings.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [06:11]

He stresses that no fast food job is worth such an irreversible act, especially for “about $13 an hour.”

4. Sympathy for Victim and Families

Charlamagne offers condolences to the slain manager and his family:

“Rest in peace to the manager, Ryan Johnson. … Sending his family healing energy.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [05:12]

5. Life Lessons & Advice

Charlamagne addresses young listeners, imparting hard-won wisdom:

“If there’s one thing I have learned in my 47 years on this planet, is that trouble don’t last. Always. Okay? This, too, shall pass.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [06:23]

He repeats that minimum wage jobs are not worth losing one’s freedom or someone’s life over, humorously listing other fast food spots as alternative employment options.

6. Workplace Violence and Emotional Health

He ties the event to broader social issues:

“Workplace conduct, plus emotional distress, plus access to firearms can lead to irreversible tragedies like this one.”
— Charlamagne Tha God [06:53]

7. Notable Quotes & Lighter Moments

The mood briefly lightens as the hosts joke about Taco Bell menu items:

“All that for a Crunchwrap Supreme?”
— Charlamagne Tha God [07:10]
“That’s crazy.”
— Jess Hilarious [07:11]

Charlamagne also jokes about how nobody should be fighting over fast food employment, especially not Chick-fil-A, because, “Well, you definitely not nice enough to work at no Chick-fil-A.”

8. The “What Race?” Game

[07:16-07:53] The hosts begin but quickly abandon their typical “what race?” guessing game, not wanting to joke in light of the tragedy. Charlamagne pokes fun at himself for being fired by his own sister from Taco Bell, clarifying he was just “late all the time” and insisting people here (at Breakfast Club) shouldn't act like he's often late now.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [03:55] “I was fired rightfully so, okay? … Not once did I think about reacting to any of those firings. When was I the way Jonathan Morris did?”
• [05:12] “Rest in peace to the manager, Ryan Johnson, sending his family healing energy.”
• [06:11] “Another permanent decision made from temporary feelings. … This, too, shall pass.”
• [06:53] “Workplace conduct, plus emotional distress, plus access to firearms can lead to irreversible tragedies like this one.”
• [07:10] “All that for a Crunchwrap Supreme?”
• [07:11] “That’s crazy.” — Jess Hilarious

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Important Timestamps

• [03:00] — Introduction of “Donkey of the Day” recipient and news recap
• [03:55] — Charlamagne's past firings and lesson
• [05:12] — Sympathy for the victim’s family
• [06:11] — Permanent solutions to temporary problems
• [06:53] — Broader social commentary on workplace violence
• [07:10–07:53] — Light-hearted riffing and the “What Race?” segment

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Tone and Delivery

The segment balances grave commentary and empathetic advice with moments of trademark levity and banter. Charlamagne speaks candidly and directly, aiming at younger listeners, underscoring the senselessness of the tragedy without sensationalizing it.

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Summary

A tragic shooting at an Ohio Taco Bell prompts The Breakfast Club to examine themes of emotional control, life perspective, and the consequences of impulsive actions. Charlamagne draws from his personal experiences to emphasize the importance of perspective after setbacks, while the crew’s lively chemistry keeps the discussion engaging for listeners—even as they treat the subject matter with the seriousness it demands. The episode closes with advice and a challenge to make better choices, especially among young workers processing job loss and workplace conflict.

Transcript

[Jess Hilarious]

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[Johnny Knoxville]

Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless Hillbilly Heist from Smartless Media, Campside Media and big money players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Kind of like Robin Hood, except for the part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous.

[Johnny Knoxville]

It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape.

[Podcast Narrator (Hell in Heaven)]

So we're sitting like, oh, God, what do we do? What do we do?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was dumb. People, do not follow my example.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new Snafu every single episode.

[Podcast Narrator (Graves County)]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, what?

[Jess Hilarious]

Snow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Stop.

[News Reporter]

What?

[Ed Helms]

Yeah, it's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna, Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Narrator (Hell in Heaven)]

Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three. Three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They actually lose it.

[Jess Hilarious]

They sort of went nuts.

[Podcast Narrator (Hell in Heaven)]

Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn, he hawked in. It's time for donkey of the day. I ain't trying to be donkey today no more. They should be embarrassed by what they already did. I'm not making these people do these things called donkey of the day. And it really caught me off guard. Damn Charlemagne.

[Jess Hilarious]

Who got the donkey of the day today?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, Jess, hilarious. Donkey of the day for Monday, October 20th goes to a 21 year old Ohio man named Jonathan Morris. Jonathan is locked up right now because he decided to seek vengeance after being fired. Okay, how many people out there have been fired and wanted to seek revenge for said firing? Well, Jonathan Morris lived out your wildest dreams and now his dumb ass is in jail for it. Let's go to Fox 19 now for.

[News Reporter]

The report, please, breaking this morning at the alert desk. A man is dead after a shooting outside this Taco Bell in Queensgate. This is video from that scene at the restaurant on Guest Street. Cincinnati police say they first got that call around midnight saying someone shot an employee in the parking lot of that Taco Bell. When officers arrived, they declared the victim dead at the scene. We're told police did not make any arrests or find a weapon. Right now they are currently investigating and finding surveillance video from the restaurant at this hour.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jonathan. Johnny. Jon. Jon. I shouldn't have to tell you that this wasn't the way to handle any of this, okay? Look, we've all been fired in life. I've been fired seven times total. Four times from radio stations. The others were a clothing store that used to exist in a mall called Demo. I was fired from a warehouse called Industrial Acoustic company and I was fired by my sister from guess where?

[Jess Hilarious]

Taco Bell.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, my sister was the manager and she fired me rightfully so, okay? I was late. That's not funny. It is funny, but it is not. You know what I'm saying? I was fired rightfully. So I was late not doing what I was supposed to be doing. It happens, but not once did I think about reacting to any of those firings. When was I the way Jonathan Morris did? Okay, I just don't understand the rapid escalation. You fired one day, then allegedly commit murder the next. There had to be some type of serious mental breakdown. He had to have a problem with his manager prior because ain't no way. Jonathan, you're 21 years old. I can guarantee you that Taco Bell was not going to be where you peaked in life, okay? It just wasn't. You went to Taco Bell a day after being fired from there to kill the manager? I looked it up, man. Okay? Taco Bell in Ohio pays an average of about 13.33 per hour. So you're about to spend the rest of your life in a maximum security prison for minimum wage. And the news report said the manager was just trying to help. That's what I read. Okay, I bet you the manager. And rest in peace to the manager, Ryan Johnson, sending, you know, his family healing energy. Rian Johnson was just trying to help. He probably engaged Jonathan in conversation. He probably was making an effort to resolve something. Probably trying to tell him, like, bruh, this ain't that serious, okay? You got fired from here. You got a whole life to live. But now he's dead because this young man simply couldn't handle his emotions. Another permanent decision made from temporary feelings. Listen, I promise you, youngest man, I know things be feeling like the end of the world when bad things happen. But if there's one thing that I have Learned in my 47 years on this planet, is that trouble don't last. Always. Okay? This, too shall pass. And, my brother, fast food is not a Fortune 500 company. Fortune 500 companies ain't worth you killing nobody over. But definitely, fast food ain't, okay? I promise you that. You could have gotten another fast food job if you wanted one, okay? You may have felt humiliated or wronged in the moment. You might have felt like it was unfair. You may have felt powerless, but McDonald's was right up the street, okay? So is a Chick fil A. Well, you. You definitely not nice enough to work at no Chick fil A. But there's a Carl's Juniors. I don't know if Crystal is in Ohio, but my point is there was other fast food jobs to be got, okay? You can get another fast food job, but Rian Johnson, sadly, can't get another life. Not here in this dimension, anyway. And you, Jonathan, can't get back what you are about to lose, which is a life of freedom. Workplace conduct, plus emotional distress, plus access to firearms can lead to irreversible tragedies like this one. Please give Jonathan Morris the biggest Hee haw. All that for a Crunch Rap supreme?

[Jess Hilarious]

That's crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All that for a Cheesy Gordita Crunch? Really?

[Jess Hilarious]

What race? What race? What's his name?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

His name was Jonathan Morris. You want to see him? You know, a race? We don't know what race? Don't just assume. Okay? What race? You think y' all want to play a game? Play game. I don't want to play a game. No. Somebody died. I do have a question, though, Jess. Right. What race y' all think he is, though? Because I want to know. I just want to know how racist y' all are.

[Jess Hilarious]

You go first than me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Black.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay, Black.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why'd y' all think that? I don't know.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, I don't even.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What race is he?

[Jess Hilarious]

I can't be too racist.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But. But let me ask you a question. Ask Charlami why he got fired from Taco Bell.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah. Why did your sister fire you? You said you was late. But what. Why did.

[Johnny Knoxville]

I wasn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing. So he was late all the time. I don't remember this. Don't learn. I only worked there for, like, two weeks. First of all, I. Don't be late here. Stop acting like I'd be late here all the goddamn time. I've been working here for 15 years. My track record is very good. Okay. Yeah. I've worked with people who were extremely late all the time. All right. Okay. My track record is very, very good. Okay. All right, all right, all right. Well, now, when we come back, you got a chance to chop it up with former president. Former Vice president Kamala Harris. Yes. You know, Kamala Harris has an amazing book out called 107 Days. If Democrats get out their feelings, I think it can, you know, help them to have some courage to tell the truth about their own party.

[Johnny Knoxville]

All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I think that can help them, you know, moving into the future. But we were in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, and we had a couple of conversations. We had a five o' clock conversation and an eight o' clock conversation. Both of them were different. So we gonna get pieces of both of them on for you this morning. All right, we'll get into that next. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. The Breakfast Club donkey today is sponsored by renowned personal injury attorney Michael the Bull Laminsoft. Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on your side. If you're ever injured, go to Michael the Bull dot com. That's Michael the bul. And when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Johnny Knoxville here. Check out Crimeless Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from Smartless Media, Campside Media and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the nimrods who almost pulled it off. It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was dumb. Do not follow my example.

[Johnny Knoxville]

Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu. Every single episode.

[Podcast Narrator (Graves County)]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop What?

[Ed Helms]

It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna, Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio, Apple, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Narrator (Hell in Heaven)]

Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They actually lose it.

[Podcast Narrator (Hell in Heaven)]

They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Narrator (Graves County)]

The murder of an 18 year old girl in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved for years until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

[Podcast Narrator (Graves County)]

Listen to Graves county on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Jess Hilarious]

This is an iHeart podcast.