'Staples of the community:' Memorial grows for Somers shooting victims
‘Staples of the community:’ Memorial grows for Somers shooting victims
Rakayo Vinson, 24, appeared in court on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide for the early Sunday shooting at the Somers House Tavern in the Village of Somers that left three men dead and three others wounded. Loved ones of the victims said they're heartbroken and at a loss for words.
SOMERS, Wis. - Rakayo Vinson, 24, appeared in court on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide for the early Sunday shooting at the Somers House Tavern in the Village of Somers that left three men dead and three others wounded. Loved ones of the victims said they're heartbroken and at a loss for words.
Officials with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department positively identified the victims Monday as Cedric Gaston, 24, of Kenosha, Atkeem Stevenson, 26, of Kenosha and Kevin Donaldson, 22 of Kenosha.
Three other men were hurt; ages 26, 23 and 22. The younger men are from Wonder Lake, Illinois. The 26-year-old is from Kenosha.
"I can’t really put it into words," said Kamaria Maiola as she added flowers to the growing memorial outside The Somers House Tavern. "It’s a lot."
She wasn’t far from the gunfire.
"There was so much going on," she said. "It sounded like fireworks. It was very frightening. Definitely fight or flight instinct."
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
"Unfortunately, I knew all three of the victims, so it’s not the greatest time," said John Earnest.
Earnest picked up his car from inside the crime scene Monday. He was inside the bar celebrating a wedding when the bullets began flying.
"I kind of thought someone was being a jackass letting shots fire," said Earnest. "I saw everybody fall down. I’m kind of looking around, trying to figure out what was really going on."
As authorities looked deeper into the shooting and how these men died, loved ones reflected on how they lived.
"He’s someone you can’t really describe because he’s just that unique," said Maiola.
"Wonderful people," said Earnest. "Staples of the community, as far as my age group. They’re going to be missed, and it’s not going to be easy for anyone around here."
Those FOX6 News spoke with said they didn't know Vinson and wanted to focus on the victims.
Featured
24-year-old suspect in Somers House tavern shooting held on $4M bond
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department identified on Monday, April 19 the suspect from the Somers House Tavern shooting that left three people dead and another three injured on Sunday.