Family, friends pay tribute to the Somers House shooting victims

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Friends and family came together Monday night, April 19, to pay tribute to three friends who lost their lives in one of the worst shootings Kenosha County has ever seen.

The three men who died were the best of friends, and Somers House was their favorite bar.

A close-knit community is now grieving the loss.

As balloons go up, tears fall down the faces gathered at Columbus Park. They are mourning the loss of three young men -- Cedric Gaston, Atkeem Stevenson and Kevin Donaldson. 

DeAndre Dixon knew them all.

"I get to wake up and see my friends," said Dixon. "This bar, I ain't never coming to this place again. I can't. Somers House will never be the same without Cedric and Atkeem."

A small memorial is growing outside Somers House. 

People drop off candles, and others, whose cars were forced to stay behind the yellow tape, got to pick them up Monday.

"Another one of my cousin's got killed in Chicago Friday night," said Atkeem's cousin, Jeremy Collins. "So right now, my family is just going through a lot right now. We lost two people back to back."

Family say they didn’t know the shooter, Rakayo Vinson, and believe Cedric, Atkeem and Kevin didn’t know him either. But now it’s a name they can’t forget. Witnesses say they heard several gun shots on the patio.

“I heard a few people screaming actually, but after I heard all the gunshots I knew something bad was happening so I, I just stayed put,” said Edward Graves, who lives above the bar.

Yellow crime scene tape is still surrounding the bar and the parking lot Monday night. Two sheriff's deputies are on scene, and Somers House remains closed.

Gaston’s sister shared a video with CBS 58 memorializing her brother.