11/24/2025
đ¨25-year-old Stephanie Dilyard, a 7-Eleven clerk in Oklahoma City, has been fired after using her personal gun to defend herself during a violent attack at work.
Police say Stephanie was working alone just after midnight on Nov. 14 when a man tried to pay with a fake $100 bill. When she confronted him, he became aggressive, threw items at her, and tried to strangle her while making threats.
She fired once in self-defense, and the suspect â 59-year-old Kenneth Thompson â ran out and later called 911. He was arrested and charged with assault, threatening violence, using counterfeit money, and violating parole.
Investigators ruled Stephanieâs actions were justified under Oklahomaâs stand-your-ground law, but 7-Eleven still terminated her on Nov. 17 for violating the company policy against employees using personal weapons.