Investigators say 15 rounds were fired toward responding officers after Antero Medina was fatally shot inside a tavern less than a block away.
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha police officers answering a report of a man shot inside a neighborhood tavern quickly found themselves in a second burst of violence, as prosecutors say the suspected gunman fired repeatedly at marked squad cars before officers returned fire and took him into custody.
The police encounter unfolded only minutes after 33-year-old Antero “Casper” Medina III was shot inside Shenanigans Bar & Grill on Sept. 20. Authorities allege Adam Scott Threlkeld, 45, of Milwaukee, killed Medina with one shot and then left the tavern before firing 15 rounds during an encounter with officers nearby. The two linked scenes now form the basis of seven felony charges, including homicide and attempted homicide counts.
Police were sent to the tavern around 8:30 p.m. Officers entering Shenanigans found Medina critically wounded near a pool table. Authorities said he died despite attempts to save him. Almost immediately, other responding officers were looking for the person suspected of firing the shot. Investigators say Threlkeld had already moved away from the business and was found near 24th Avenue and 53rd Street, less than a block from the original scene.
Dash-camera and body-camera evidence became central to the account of what happened next. Court filings say two marked police vehicles approached the area with emergency lights operating. Gunshots could then be heard, and one officer quickly left a squad car and took cover. Prosecutors say Threlkeld exchanged gunfire with police, paused and then fired again as officers attempted to stop him.
A squad car was hit multiple times. Court records described damage to the hood, windows and tires. No officer suffered significant physical injuries, an outcome Police Chief Patrick Patton highlighted when discussing the confrontation publicly. Patton described the attack on officers as an ambush and said video of the encounter illustrated how quickly the officers arriving for a homicide call were placed in danger themselves.
Police returned fire and struck Threlkeld. He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital. Investigators said a handgun recovered from him contained an empty magazine. The complaint says the magazine could hold 15 rounds, with an additional round capable of being chambered. Investigators reported recovering evidence consistent with one round fired inside the bar and 15 during the later encounter with police.
Those numbers connect two crime scenes that prosecutors say were created within a few minutes of one another. The single shot inside Shenanigans is alleged to have killed Medina. The remaining gunfire forms much of the basis for two attempted first-degree intentional homicide charges involving officers, along with two first-degree reckless-endangerment counts. Threlkeld also faces charges of possessing a firearm as a felon and felony bail jumping.
The officer-involved shooting was separated from the homicide investigation. Kenosha police continued investigating Medina’s death, while the Kenosha-Racine Area Investigative Team examined the exchange of gunfire involving the officers. The Racine County Sheriff’s Office served as the lead agency for that review. The division allowed an outside agency to lead the investigation of Kenosha officers’ use of force while local detectives handled the original killing.
The events inside the tavern were reconstructed through a different set of evidence. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video showed Threlkeld and Medina talking before the interaction grew tense. Witnesses said Threlkeld became more aggressive. Investigators said Medina appeared to avoid continued contact, and he stepped away at about 8:22 p.m. to telephone his girlfriend and ask her to hurry over to get him.
After Medina returned, prosecutors say Threlkeld again moved close to him while another person tried to intervene. Surveillance footage described in the complaint allegedly showed Threlkeld pull out a gun and keep it partly concealed behind his leg. About 14 seconds later, investigators say he raised the weapon and fired once at Medina’s chest. Medina moved several steps before falling near the pool table where police later found him.
Authorities have not publicly established a definitive motive. One account based on the complaint said Threlkeld had attempted to sell Medina marijuana, but Chief Patton said investigators still did not know why the confrontation ended in a killing. Police said Medina and Threlkeld apparently did not know each other before that night. Patton described the interaction as something that escalated much faster than the circumstances appeared to warrant.
The absence of a settled motive stands alongside statements prosecutors attribute to Threlkeld after the shootings. The complaint says he acknowledged firing at Medina and at police. At the hospital, he allegedly said of Medina, “I hope he dies. I had to teach him a lesson.” Prosecutors also cited statements in which Threlkeld indicated that he had expected to die during the exchange with officers. Those alleged remarks are evidence asserted by the state, not findings of guilt.
The police videos also became part of the public understanding of the case. Authorities released limited footage after the shootings, while news organizations reported on body-camera and dash-camera recordings summarized in court documents. The images and reports show officers reacting to incoming fire and taking positions near their vehicles. Officials said the gunfire struck property but did not seriously injure the officers involved.
The fact that no officer suffered a major physical injury did not lessen the charges prosecutors filed. Two attempted-homicide counts accuse Threlkeld of intending to kill two officers. To obtain convictions, prosecutors will have to prove the elements of those offenses in court, rather than simply show that shots were fired. Threlkeld is presumed innocent and may contest the state’s account, its interpretation of the video and other evidence presented in the case.
Medina’s death remains the event that brought police to the scene. His relatives described him as a father of three and a person who made others laugh. Friends and family gathered outside the bar after the shooting, creating a memorial that included references to his longtime nickname, “Casper.” Their remembrance stood only a short distance from the streets where the later gunfire with police occurred.
Prosecutors also allege Threlkeld should not have possessed the firearm at all. Authorities said he had a prior felony conviction and was legally prohibited from having a gun. He also had an open Milwaukee County criminal matter and had been released on a signature bond. The Kenosha bail-jumping charge alleges his conduct on Sept. 20 violated conditions associated with that pending case.
Threlkeld spent time hospitalized after being wounded by police, delaying the earliest court proceedings. When he later appeared in Kenosha County court, a $5 million cash bail remained in place. Reporting from an Oct. 8 proceeding said he appeared in a wheelchair and, through counsel, did not contest the bail amount. The unusually high bail reflects a judicial detention decision, not a determination of guilt.
As of the latest publicly verified reporting reviewed for this account, the prosecution remained pending and no final disposition had been established. The criminal case will address allegations arising from both the tavern and the shots fired at officers, while the separate review of the police gunfire follows its own investigative process. Threlkeld remains accused, not convicted, of the seven Kenosha felonies.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 9, 2026.