She Went to Work and Never Came Home: A Family’s Heartbreak After Tragic Incident at 7-Eleven

Jessica McLaughlin was only 24, full of life, and just starting to build her future. On the morning of June 24, she left for work at her local 7-Eleven store in Hollywood, California — something she’d done countless times before. She never imagined it would be her last day of life as she knew it.

What began as an ordinary shift turned into a devastating tragedy that has left her family shattered and a community searching for answers.

According to her loved ones, a sudden and horrifying altercation broke out between Jessica and her manager — a woman whose identity still hasn’t been publicly revealed. In a moment of unthinkable aggression, the manager allegedly pulled Jessica’s hair, forced her to the ground, and sat on her with her full body weight, pinning Jessica down and stopping her from breathing.

“She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe,” said her brother Sean McLaughlin in a heart-wrenching update on GoFundMe. “Coworkers tried to help, but they were attacked too. And when Jessica finally got free… she collapsed. She wasn’t breathing anymore.”

As frantic coworkers performed CPR in a desperate attempt to revive her, the manager reportedly fled — not just from the scene, but from responsibility. The family claims she ran to the back room to delete security footage before escaping on a bicycle.

Jessica was rushed to the hospital, unconscious. Doctors placed her on life support, but hope quickly began to fade. The lack of oxygen had caused irreversible damage to her brain.

For over a week, Jessica’s loved ones kept vigil by her bedside — her mother Jasmine, father Clancey, stepfather Albert, sister Linda, her boyfriend Adrian, her brothers Anthony and Sean — all praying for a miracle that would never come.

“Her brain had stopped functioning,” Sean wrote. “We did everything we could. We got second opinions. But there was no coming back from this. We had to make the impossible decision… to let her go.”

On July 2, Jessica’s loved ones gathered around her, holding her close as they said their final goodbyes.. Machines were turned off. And with them, a young life filled with dreams and love slipped away.

The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that officers responded to the 7-Eleven store and found Jessica unresponsive on the floor. Surveillance footage has reportedly been recovered but is not being released to the public yet. A homicide investigation is now underway.

The suspect, according to 7-Eleven, has been fired. In a brief statement, the company said, “Our hearts are with those impacted during this difficult time. We’re working closely with law enforcement and will continue to support their investigation in every way we can.

Jessica’s death isn’t just another headline — it’s a brutal reminder of how quickly life can be taken in a moment of violence. She was someone’s daughter, sister, girlfriend, best friend. She had people who loved her fiercely. She mattered.

And now, in her absence, those who knew her are left grieving — and demanding justice.

As the investigation continues, one thing is heartbreakingly clear: Jessica deserved so much more. A safe workplace. A long, full life. A chance to grow older with the people who loved her.

She was only 24. She clocked in for her shift like any other day… but never made it back.

May her story remind us how precious — and fragile — life really is.