Lowell Hawthorne died in New York City at the age of 57. The city’s medical examiner said Hawthorne shot himself in the head at his Bronx factory on Saturday, Dec. 2
Hawthorne was “acting funny” and “talking to himself” shortly before committing suicide, a law enforcement source told the Post. Hawthorne also admitted to his relatives to having a sizeable tax debt.
The source also told the Post that Hawthorne's suicide was recorded on a surveillance video inside the Bronx warehouse of the Golden Krust bakery. In the video, Hawthorne can be seen talking with two workers who then leave the office. The pair then returned crouching after they heard the shot. One of the employees can then be seen talking on a cell phone, presumably calling 911.
According to the law enforcement source, Hawthorne left a note apologizing to his relatives. He had hired dozens of people from his family since he founded the business in 1989.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Hawthorn appeared to be fighting his demons.
Hawthorne started the successful Caribbean fast-food chain in 1989 by selling Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken, and various types of bread. He built the business into a national franchise with more than 120 restaurants in nine states.
Hawthorne once appeared in an episode of CBS’ “Undercover Boss.” At the time of his death, his company was planning on building a new $37 million headquarters in Rockland County.
Hawthorne started his restaurant empire with a single location on East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. By 1996, he had opened 16 more locations and launched a franchise operation.
The company's iconic beef patties were sold in 20,000 supermarkets as of last year, according to a news release cited by the Post. The company also serves the New York City public school system, the New York State penal system, and the U.S. military.
In August, Hawthorne was served with a class-action lawsuit on behalf of over 100 workers alleging that he cheated them out of overtime pay. This type of lawsuit is relatively common in the food service industry, the Post noted.
In a Twitter message on Saturday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness offered his condolences to Hawthorn’s family and employees.