WAUKEGAN, IL – An Illinois restaurant owner was fatally stabbed during a gender reveal party at his own establishment, leaving two men facing murder charges.

Joshua Kirkwood, 51, co-owned Forty-One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood in Waukegan, where the event was held on February 8. According to witnesses, a heated argument erupted between Kirkwood and his girlfriend, who also managed the restaurant.

This disagreement allegedly prompted her 16-year-old son to seek out his older brother, Iziah Gonzalez, 21, with the intent to confront Kirkwood.

Witnesses recalled the brothers joining the argument with Kirkwood and their mother, which quickly escalated. During the altercation, Kirkwood reportedly issued a threat, at which point the teenager is accused of stabbing him with a large kitchen knife.

Witnesses also reported Gonzalez expressing shock at the violence, allegedly saying, “Why’d you do that? I had him,” after suffering a knife injury himself.

Gonzalez drove both himself and his brother to a nearby hospital for treatment. The younger brother fled the scene on foot upon arrival. Authorities later found Kirkwood and his girlfriend at the restaurant. She had suffered a leg wound, while Kirkwood had multiple stab wounds on his body. Kirkwood was taken to a hospital but did not survive his injuries.

During police questioning, Gonzalez suggested that Kirkwood’s relationship with his mother had become abusive, though details were not made clear. Gonzalez was taken into custody the same night and charged with murder. The following day, the 16-year-old also turned himself into authorities and faced murder charges.

As these legal proceedings unfold, the local community grapples with the violent incident that marred what should have been a joyous occasion meant to celebrate family.