Somers bar triple homicide, Rakayo Vinson convicted
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - Court records indicate Rakayo Vinson was convicted Tuesday, Jan. 18 in the April 18 shooting at Somers House Tavern in the Village of Somers.
Rakayo Vinson, 25, was found guilty on all six charges: three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and three counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
Killed were 24-year-old Cedric Gaston; 26-year-old Atkeem Stevenson; and 22-year-old Kevin Donaldson, all of Kenosha.
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According to prosecutors, Vinson got into a fight at the bar and opened fire as he was leaving. Video shows Vinson exchanging fire with Donaldson outside the tavern. Donaldson left in a car but later died at a hospital, prosecutors said.
Justin Haymond, Jordan Momani and Kevin Serratos were wounded but survived, according to the criminal complaint.
Vinson was arrested in Mount Pleasant after he allegedly stole a car from friends. Investigators say those friends turned him in after Vinson returned the vehicle.
Two days after the shooting, Somers’ then fire chief said it was the most chaotic and horrific crime scene of his career.
"We’re going to reinforce our training and responding to this type of emergency," he said.
On the first day of Vinson's trial, a disruption stopped the proceedings for a moment. During opening statements, court records show a relative of one of the victims interrupted with an outburst. She was found in contempt of court as Vinson unsuccessfully pushed to get a new attorney.
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