John Jefferson
Background: News footage of Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood in Waukegan, Ill. (WLS). Inset (top): Iziah Gonzalez (Lake County Sheriff’s Office). Inset (bottom): Joshua Kirkwood (provided by family).
A restaurant owner from Illinois died after being stabbed during a gender reveal party held at his own place of business — and now two men are being charged with murder.
Joshua Kirkwood, 51, was the co-owner of Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood in Waukegan, where he was hosting a gender reveal party on the night of Feb. 8. During the party, Kirkwood was reportedly overheard having a “heated discussion” with his girlfriend, who also worked at the restaurant as a manager. According to the police report obtained by WMAQ, a local NBC affiliate, the woman’s 16-year-old son was then seen by other restaurant employees heading downstairs to get his brother, Iziah Gonzalez, 21, allegedly with plans to harm Kirkwood.
Gonzalez and his younger brother, who was not named because of his minor status, then allegedly went back up the stairs. An argument between the two brothers, their mother, and Kirkwood ensued, and then reportedly escalated into a physical altercation. At some point, according to the report, Kirkwood threatened to “throw hands” with the younger boys. The teenage son then allegedly stabbed Kirkwood with a “big kitchen knife.” His brother, who also sustained a knife injury during the fray, was heard by another employee reportedly saying, “Why’d you do that? I had him.”
According to the police report, Gonzalez then drove himself and his younger brother to a hospital to get treatment for his wounds. The younger brother fled on foot when they arrived at the hospital.
Meanwhile, paramedics arrived at the restaurant where they found Kirkwood and his girlfriend, who had a knife wound to her leg. Kirkwood was unresponsive and had several stab wounds to his wrist, back, and the right side of his body. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
When police spoke with Gonzalez, he told them that his mother had been in a relationship with Kirkwood that allegedly became abusive.
Police arrested Gonzalez the night of the fight and charged him with murder. The teenage son was also charged with murder after he surrendered himself to police on Feb. 10.
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