An Illinois restaurant owner tragically lost his life after being stabbed during a gender reveal party at his own establishment. Two individuals have since been charged with his murder. Joshua Kirkwood, 51, co-owned the Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood restaurant in Waukegan. On the evening of February 8, he was hosting a gender reveal party at his restaurant when the incident occurred.
Kirkwood was reportedly engaged in a heated argument with his girlfriend, who also served as a manager at the restaurant. Witnesses reported that the woman’s 16-year-old son left the scene of the argument to fetch his older brother, Iziah Gonzalez, 21, allegedly with the intention of causing harm to Kirkwood.
Following this, Gonzalez and his younger brother returned upstairs where the argument between Kirkwood, their mother, and themselves escalated into a physical confrontation. According to reports, Kirkwood threatened to fight the two young men. The 16-year-old then allegedly stabbed Kirkwood with a large kitchen knife. Gonzalez, who also suffered a knife wound during the altercation, was overheard questioning his brother’s actions.
After the incident, Gonzalez drove himself and his younger brother to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. Upon arrival, the younger brother fled the scene on foot. Meanwhile, emergency services arrived at the restaurant and found Kirkwood and his girlfriend, who had also sustained a knife wound to her leg. Kirkwood, who was unresponsive and had multiple stab wounds, was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
When questioned by police, Gonzalez claimed that his mother had been in an abusive relationship with Kirkwood. Gonzalez was arrested on the night of the incident and charged with murder. The 16-year-old was also charged with murder after turning himself in to the police two days later, on February 10.