A man responsible for the tragic shooting at a Kansas City, Kansas bar in October 2019 has been found guilty of multiple felonies after being on the run for two months. Hugo Villanueva-Morales, 35, was convicted on Wednesday of a series of charges including capital murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, four counts of aggravated battery, and illegal possession of a firearm.
The verdict means Villanueva-Morales faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, with sentencing scheduled for July 1. His legal representative, Mark Manna, disclosed that prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty in exchange for his client’s waiver of a jury trial. The bench trial saw testimony from over twenty witnesses.
On the night of October 6, 2019, Villanueva-Morales and another man, Javier Alatorre, opened fire inside Tequila KC bar. Authorities believe the violence erupted due to an earlier argument at the bar, leading the two men to return with weapons and commence the attack. While Alatorre was apprehended shortly after the event, Villanueva-Morales fled to Mexico but was eventually captured two months later. Alatorre subsequently pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder and is currently serving a 34-year sentence.
The incident was not the first encounter with law enforcement for either suspect. Villanueva-Morales was already facing a pending third-degree assault charge in Missouri at the time of the shooting. Prior records indicate he was involved in an altercation with a sheriff’s deputy in August 2019 and had previously been incarcerated for robbery, during which synthetic marijuana was found in his possession. Instead of serving additional prison time, he had been placed on probation, which he violated by testing positive for marijuana. Villanueva-Morales was released from jail a week before committing the bar shooting.
Alatorre also had a history of legal troubles, facing multiple charges related to a police pursuit occurring around the time of the shooting. The case has drawn attention due to both men’s criminal backgrounds and the serious nature of the charges they faced in connection with the tragic events at Tequila KC bar.