In the early morning hours of September 18, 2022, a violent encounter outside a Kenosha, Wisconsin bar cut short the life of James Hood, a 35-year-old Black man. The incident, which also resulted in the death of another man, Houston Oliver, and injuries to two other people, unfolded at Las Margaritas tavern. The establishment had been the scene of another shooting just weeks prior, and the community was already on edge.
On that night, an altercation that began inside the bar spilled out
into the exterior. Following a physical confrontation where one of the eventual suspects was punched, the situation escalated dramatically. Two men, later identified as Kendal T. Readus and James C. Murphy, were kicked out of the establishment. Shortly after, gunfire erupted from a vehicle they occupied. Prosecutors later stated that Murphy drove the car while Readus fired from the back seat into a large group of people gathered outside. Hood and Oliver sustained fatal injuries in the barrage of bullets.
The Kenosha Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the double homicide. Utilizing surveillance footage and witness interviews, authorities were able to identify Readus, then 29, and Murphy, also 29, as the primary suspects. The investigation revealed that after the shooting, Readus allegedly drove the car to Waukegan, Illinois, and had it detailed. Warrants were issued for the arrest of both men.
In October 2022, James C. Murphy was apprehended in Hogansville, Georgia, and awaited extradition to Wisconsin. Kendal T. Readus, who had reportedly contacted Kenosha detectives to "clear his name" while denying involvement, remained at large for a time before being captured. Both men faced multiple charges, including two counts of murder, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, and one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle towards a person.
On May 27, 2026, a Kenosha County jury found Kendal T. Readus guilty on all counts related to the murders of James Hood and Houston Oliver. The jury reviewed evidence, including video footage, before returning the guilty verdicts. The case against the shooter reached its conclusion in May 2026.
