Luis Garcia, a 27-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically killed on October 14, 2023, in a shooting that also took the life of his 30-year-old brother, Manuel Garcia. The brothers were in Ashland, Wisconsin, visiting another brother, Ricardo, for the weekend. Originally from Mexico, Luis and Manuel were living near Eau Claire at the time of their deaths.
On that fateful night, the brothers had gone to the Stagecoach Bar and Grill.
As they were leaving, they encountered a man in the alley behind the establishment allegedly beating someone with a crowbar. This man, later identified by police as Nathan "Freddie" Monkelien, the 35-year-old owner of the bar, then reportedly pulled out a gun and began shooting. Ricardo was able to hide, but witnessed his brothers being shot.
When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered Luis and Manuel Garcia deceased in the alley. The incident was quickly investigated as a double homicide. Shortly after the shooting, police apprehended Monkelien near the crime scene. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the deaths.
Following his arrest, Nathan Monkelien was held on a $1 million bond as the legal proceedings against him began. In the wake of the violent encounter, a small memorial was set up in the alley to honor the two young men whose lives were cut short. Friends and family mourned the loss of Luis and Manuel, remembering them as beloved family members. A GoFundMe campaign was established to help with the expenses of returning their bodies to their homeland of Mexico for burial.
