In what has been described as a senseless act of violence, 31-year-old Randy Charles Jenereaux, a white male, was shot and killed on the evening of Saturday, November 13, 2021. The incident occurred at Woodpeckers Pub and Grub in Upper Burrell, a location near New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Jenereaux was at the bar with his identical twin brother, Andy, and their father, who was working as a cook. The atmosphere of a regular night was shattered when a patron, without any apparent interaction or provocation, opened fire.
According to police reports, Daniel Moles, a 61-year-old regular at the pub, pulled out a. 45 caliber handgun and fired two shots into the crowded establishment. One of these bullets struck Randy Jenereaux in the chest. In the chaotic moments that followed, patrons in the bar bravely intervened, subduing Moles and securing his weapon until law enforcement arrived. While this was happening, Andy Jenereaux desperately tried to save his brother, carrying him to a car to rush him to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, Randy's injuries were too severe, and he succumbed on the way.
Daniel Moles was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with criminal homicide. He was taken to the Westmoreland County Prison. Investigators confirmed that Jenereaux and Moles did not know each other and had no interaction prior to the fatal shooting, leaving a community and a grieving family searching for answers. The Westmoreland County Coroner's office officially ruled Randy Jenereaux's death a homicide.
Friends and family remembered Randy as a man with a magnetic personality and a contagious smile who brought light into every room he entered. Born in Tampa, Florida, he was a graduate of Burrell High School and California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in business management. He was known for his love of film, his passion for creating documentaries, and his unwavering support for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins. He was deeply loved by his parents, siblings, and a wide circle of friends who were left heartbroken by the sudden and tragic loss.
