Martin Rodriguez Gonzalez, a 58-year-old Hispanic man, was one of four people killed in a mass shooting on October 6, 2019, at the Tequila KC Bar in Kansas City, Kansas. The attack, which also left five other patrons wounded, shattered the early morning quiet and devastated several families.
The violence began around 1:30 a.m. inside the bar on Central Avenue, where about 40 people were present.
According to authorities, two men who had been involved in an altercation and ejected from the bar a few hours earlier returned armed with handguns. They opened fire on the crowd in what police described as a deliberate and targeted attack, not a random act. In addition to Martin Rodriguez Gonzalez, the shooting claimed the lives of Francisco Anaya Garcia, 34, Alfredo Calderon, 29, and Everardo Meza-Aguirre, 29.
An investigation quickly identified two suspects, leading to a manhunt. One of the men, 23-year-old Javier Alatorre, was apprehended in Kansas City, Missouri, on the afternoon of the shooting. The second suspect, 29-year-old Hugo Villanueva-Morales, fled the country, sparking an international search. He was eventually captured in Mexico in December 2019. Both men were extradited to Wyandotte County to face charges that included capital and first-degree murder.
In December 2023, Javier Alatorre pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison for his role in the massacre.
Hugo Villanueva-Morales proceeded to a bench trial. In April 2025, a judge found him guilty of capital murder, attempted first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a firearm. At his sentencing, the sister of victim Everardo Meza spoke about her family's loss. “My life will never be the same,” she said. “The pain’s not going away - my brother’s not coming back. But at least we know justice has been served.” The case concluded on July 1, 2025, when Villanueva-Morales was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
