Luigi's Restaurant shooting

Did You Know?

• Kenneth Junior French was a native of Zephyrhills, Florida.
• He had been in the military since June 1, 1989, serving as a mechanic.
• Police found he had not been in the restaurant or had any connection to any of the workers there.

Shooting

Just before ten at night, French pulled up to the restaurant driving a black truck. He got out wearing shorts and a fishing vest, carrying a pump-action shotgun, and went in through the back kitchen. Once inside, he started shouting about politics and homosexuality, then opened fire without aiming at anyone in particular. His first victim was cook Willie McCormick.

Pete Parrous approached and begged French not to hurt anyone; French shot him in the face, killing him. Pete’s wife Ethel screamed at the sight and was shot in the face, also killed. Their daughter screamed and took a bullet to the thigh. Wesley Cover asked French to spare a pregnant woman; French killed him and wounded the woman, though not fatally.

James Kidd was shielding his son under a table when French shot him in the back, killing him; the boy was unharmed. In total, four people died and seven were hurt. Police lieutenant Bill Simons then shot and wounded French.

Trial

Kenneth French, a sergeant, faced charges for four capital murders and eight assaults. His lawyer argued he was intoxicated during the incident and carried a lifelong grudge because his father had raped a relative. A jury found French guilty on all counts. Unable to agree on capital punishment, the jury left the death penalty undecided. The court handed down four consecutive life sentences for the murders, plus an additional 35 years for the assaults.