(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha County jury today found Kendal T. Readus (32), of Illinois, guilty on all counts related to the September 18, 2022 shooting outside Las Margaritas Tavern in Kenosha that left James Hood and Houston Oliver dead and two additional victims injured.
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
The jury convicted Readus of all five charged counts following deliberations that began at 2:18 p.m. The jury reviewed evidence, including video footage, and returned guilty verdicts at 3:51 p.m. The verdicts were formally read in court at 3:54 p.m.
According to the criminal complaint, Readus was at Las Margaritas Tavern, located at 2232 Roosevelt Road, on September 18, 2022. After an altercation inside the tavern, he was removed from the bar. Prosecutors proved at trial that Readus entered a vehicle and then opened fire into a crowd of people outside the tavern, killing James Hood and Houston Oliver and wounding two additional victims.
Investigators used surveillance footage, squad video, witness testimony, and other evidence to identify the suspect and support the charges of two counts of 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide, two counts of 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, and one count of Discharge Firearm from Vehicle Toward Person. Readus initially attempted to contact detectives to “clear his name” before later being taken into custody.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Vincent Kurta and Matthew Zisi, who secured guilty verdicts after the jury deliberated for just over an hour in a case involving a double homicide and two additional shooting victims. One courtroom observer indicated the verdict was unusually fast given the seriousness, complexity, and magnitude of the case, reflecting the strength and presentation of the evidence introduced during trial.
Defense attorney Clara Shum, a Milwaukee-based attorney representing Readus, argued at trial that Readus was not the individual responsible for the shootings. The jury ultimately rejected that theory and returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
Readus was originally charged in October 2022, and a warrant was issued with a $2 million cash bail amount. Readus now faces a mandatory life sentence under Wisconsin law when he is sentenced later this year. The conviction marks another major homicide prosecution secured by the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office within the last year and closes a case that drew significant public attention due to the brazen nature of the shooting outside a busy tavern.
Readus is also currently facing separate charges stemming from an incident at the Kenosha County Jail earlier this month. According to a criminal complaint, prosecutors state Readus spit in the face of a corrections officer after refusing orders to surrender contraband discovered in his cell. He has been charged with assault by a prisoner, disorderly conduct, and three counts of violating state or county institution laws in that pending case.
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26 Responses
Too bad he keeps losing sexual assault cases.
THAT MY UNCLE FREE HIM
Your uncle boutta rot in prison as he should
Shit yo bitch ass up remember he ain’t the only one stepping tread lightly boy
keyboard warrior
Gotta remember that pronoun lol
U a dumbass bitch boy gtfo nigga Errbody know both the twins sum broke ass goofies bitch LLH
Exactly what I was thinking.
Good he deserves everything he got ha 😁😁😁😁
Just like dude and them 😂🤣
Good he deserves it all😁😁😁😁😁
Anyone familiar with the law knows an hour to come back with a verdict means either tons of evidence or sumthin fishy.
For a case that’s been dragged on way too long, it was a relief to see the jury paid attention and did the right thing.
He should’ve thought before grabbing a gun and spraying bullets. Another moron locked up.
When will young Adults realize that a fight is just a fight. Someone wins Someone loses, But after the fight is over. If you take additional steps to continue the fight. You’re gonna be the loser for Life. And thats what you are gonna get. Guns aint fists. Most of the time its automatic death. Use common sense when it comes to a fight. That (1) extra step can “End your life Forever”. …
PLEASE READ- With all the violence and perpetual criminal activity and incarcerations, a study should be conducted. All of the inmates entering should take “standardized tests” to see if they actually earned their diplomas; or were just given them for the sake of “good stats”. incentivize a good score with some money in their commissary account. This will show that public education is lying about these former student’s achievements. This is a large component of the incarceration, being pushed out the door with no math or reading skills, not forced to learn how to learn and achieve. The schools just push them through; and lie and say they met the learning standards.
A culture can only change itself from within, you can’t legislate third world behavior out of peoples DNA.
Un live him
Free my boy and fuck who don’t like it 🤣💯😈🩸
way to amount to nothing thug
You sound like a real winner- you can see your boy in the joint when you’re cell mates
I I believe he will do it standing up sad how much hatred and meanness and still exist but one thing for sure and to things for sure he will survive stop the foolishness young person made a bad decision which I pray he he will survive keep your head up and keep standing tall.
we hate those that are hateful to the world
Glad to see another pos off the streets forever 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
He made many more kids to continue the process
Let’s do math.
He killed 2 scholars who would have been on welfare, section 8 and food stamps, and would have procreated at least 2 more generations of the same.
Readus also will only be able to procreat with his hands and other dudes, so thats a win win also.
Even though we will have to feed him in a cage for the next 60 years, he has saved the taxpayers a lot of money.
Thanks Readus!
When I was a kid drinking here in town I got in a few bar fights.It never went past fists.