On a Tuesday evening in Hartford, Connecticut, the life of 46-year-old Richard Kinoshita was cut short by an act of gun violence. Born on an American military base in Japan, he grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, before his family relocated to Connecticut in 1989. Described by those who knew him as strong-willed with a heart of gold, Richard was a father, son, and friend to many. Over the years, he had explored several trades, including automotive repair, computer technology, and the culinary arts.
The fatal encounter occurred around 5:30 p.m. on February 19, 2019, on New Britain Avenue. Richard sustained a gunshot wound to the torso and was rushed to Hartford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation into his death quickly unfolded as police were alerted to a second shooting victim about 20 minutes later on Atwood Street. This individual, 19-year-old Ian Wilson Jr. of Windsor, had a gunshot wound to the hip. Initially, Wilson was uncooperative with authorities about how he had been injured.
Through physical evidence and witness interviews, investigators were able to connect the two shootings to a marijuana transaction that had gone wrong. The evidence pointed to Ian Wilson Jr. as the person responsible for Richard Kinoshita's death. Subsequently, Wilson was arrested in Waterbury and faced charges of murder and criminal possession of a firearm. He was held on a $1,000,000 bond. In August 2019, the case reached a resolution when Wilson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. As a result of his plea agreement, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of special parole, bringing a close to the legal proceedings surrounding the untimely death of Richard Kinoshita.
