DeWitt, NY (NCC News) – Steven Gudknecht and Kristopher Hicks were closing up service at the Chili’s on Erie Boulevard for the evening on September 14, 2018 when William Wood Jr. opened fire. The shooter, 33, came to the restaurant where he used to work with the express purpose of robbing the business. Instead, he shot and killed Gudknecht, 37, and Hicks, 29, in addition to attempting to shoot Jessica Saum, 37, before his gun jammed.
One year after the shooting, over 100 people gathered in Onondaga Lake Park yesterday to remember Gudknecht’s and Hicks’s lives. Family members for both men spoke at the event, and those gathered released butterflies into the late afternoon skies to honor their legacies.
Wood pleaded guilty to all 10 counts of which he was accused, including first degree murder and the attempted murder of Saum. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. New York State law does not allow the death penalty, but United States Attorney General William Barr has announced he has authorized a notice of intent to pursue the death penalty.
