SAN FRANCISCO – Golden Gate Bridge (search) officials were reevaluating security after a driver was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a toll collector.
The female toll worker was shot in the neck and chest late Saturday apparently during an attempted robbery, according to San Francisco police. She is expected to survive.
It's the first time a toll collector has been shot on the bridge, said Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge administration. The span is one of the most heavily guarded sites in the Bay Area.
Marcellus Cooksey, 42, of San Francisco, faces two counts of attempted murder, three gun charges and a robbery charge stemming from the toll plaza attack, according to San Francisco police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens. Cooksey also faces an outstanding warrant for an undisclosed traffic violation, Gittens said.
Gittens said police recovered a handgun and an undisclosed amount of money after Cooksey was shot in the leg by an officer and arrested near the scene.
Currie said officials are examining the circumstances of the attack and interviewing toll collectors as they reconsider security measures. The attack "speaks to some vulnerability that we need to take a look at," she said. "We're doing a lot of talking among all of us, especially collectors. Our focus is on the health and well being of our fellow employees."
The shooting has rattled longtime toll collectors, many of whom view regular commuters as part of their extended family. Currie said many regulars often give gifts or flowers to the toll workers during the holiday season.
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