Adam Threlkeld allegedly said he wanted to “teach” Antero Medina a lesson, yet investigators say they still lack a definitive motive.
KENOSHA, Wis. — Prosecutors say the man accused of killing Antero “Casper” Medina III inside a Kenosha bar made blunt statements afterward about the shooting, but investigators have stopped short of saying those remarks explain why a brief encounter between two apparent strangers ended in a homicide.
That unresolved question is a central feature of the case against Adam Scott Threlkeld, 45, of Milwaukee. He faces first-degree intentional homicide and six other felony charges stemming from the Sept. 20 shooting at Shenanigans Bar & Grill and a later exchange of gunfire with police. The complaint offers a detailed timeline, surveillance evidence and alleged post-arrest admissions, but authorities have said they still do not know exactly what drove the killing.
Police Chief Patrick Patton addressed that uncertainty after charges were filed. He said the confrontation did not appear to have begun as a major fight and that Medina and Threlkeld were not believed to have known each other beforehand. The chief described the escalation as unusually fast and senseless. His comments left a distinction between evidence suggesting anger in the moment and proof of a broader motive that investigators could confidently identify.
The complaint begins to fill in the sequence with surveillance footage and witness accounts. Medina, 33, was inside Shenanigans when Threlkeld began speaking with him, investigators said. The conversation initially appeared manageable but grew increasingly tense. Witnesses described Threlkeld becoming louder and more aggressive, while prosecutors said video showed Medina attempting to create distance rather than intensify the interaction.
Medina eventually stepped away and called his girlfriend. Investigators said he told her he needed a ride and asked her to hurry. The call occurred at about 8:22 p.m., only minutes before the fatal shot. Its timing is significant because prosecutors say Medina then returned to the bar area and continued trying to avoid the confrontation as Threlkeld again moved toward him.
Surveillance footage described in the complaint allegedly shows a woman trying to separate the two. At about 8:24 p.m., investigators say Threlkeld pulled a handgun from his waistband or pocket and held it behind his right leg. Roughly 14 seconds later, according to prosecutors, he raised the gun and fired a single shot toward Medina’s chest. Medina stumbled before collapsing near a pool table, where responding officers later found him.
Medina died at the scene. News reports based on the complaint have said Threlkeld had tried to sell him marijuana earlier in the encounter. But police have not presented that allegation as a definitive explanation for the killing, and the complaint does not establish a clear, sustained dispute between the men before the shooting. Authorities have instead emphasized the speed with which an apparently limited confrontation became deadly.
The most pointed language in the case comes from statements the complaint attributes to Threlkeld after his arrest. Prosecutors allege that while receiving treatment, he said of Medina, “I hope he dies. I had to teach him a lesson.” Investigators also documented additional statements in which he allegedly acknowledged shooting Medina and firing at police. Those statements may become important evidence, but they remain allegations that the defense may challenge as the case proceeds.
The phrase about teaching Medina a lesson suggests a reason in the ordinary sense of the word, but it does not necessarily answer the legal or investigative question of motive. Authorities still must establish what preceded the shooting, how accurately the statements reflect Threlkeld’s state of mind and whether other evidence supports the prosecution’s interpretation. Police publicly continued to describe the underlying cause of the killing as unresolved after reviewing the early evidence.
Within minutes of Medina’s death, investigators say the violence shifted outside. Threlkeld allegedly left Shenanigans and walked into the surrounding neighborhood. Officers approaching the area in marked vehicles encountered him near 24th Avenue and 53rd Street. The complaint says gunfire was directed toward police as they arrived, and Chief Patton later characterized the encounter as an ambush.
Prosecutors say Threlkeld fired 15 rounds during the confrontation with officers. A police vehicle was struck several times, including in the hood, windows and tires. Officers returned fire and wounded Threlkeld before taking him into custody. No officer suffered significant physical injuries. Investigators reported recovering a handgun from Threlkeld with an empty magazine, along with ballistic evidence from the street and the bar.
The two scenes produced an unusually broad group of charges from a single short sequence of events. Threlkeld is accused of first-degree intentional homicide in Medina’s death, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide involving responding officers and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He also faces possession of a firearm by a felon and felony bail jumping.
Authorities say the firearm charge is based on Threlkeld’s prior felony status. At the time of the Kenosha shooting, he also had a pending Milwaukee County criminal case and had been released on a signature bond. Prosecutors allege the Sept. 20 conduct violated conditions stemming from that case, resulting in the bail-jumping count. Those allegations provide legal background but do not themselves establish what caused the encounter with Medina.
Investigators have multiple forms of evidence beyond Threlkeld’s alleged statements. Surveillance cameras inside Shenanigans captured the interactions leading to Medina’s death. Police body-camera and dash-camera footage documented portions of the later confrontation. Witnesses described what they heard and saw. Physical evidence included spent rounds and damage to a squad car. Together, those materials allow prosecutors to reconstruct the chronology even as the deeper reason for the original shooting remains uncertain.
The investigation is also divided between agencies because Kenosha officers fired their weapons. Kenosha police have handled the homicide investigation, while the Kenosha-Racine Area Investigative Team examined the officer-involved shooting with the Racine County Sheriff’s Office serving as lead agency. The separate review focuses on the police use of force, distinct from the prosecution’s allegations that Threlkeld first killed Medina and then fired toward officers.
Medina’s family has supplied the most personal context for a case otherwise dominated by video timestamps, cartridges and felony counts. Relatives described him as a loving father of three with an easy sense of humor. Friends and family assembled a memorial outside Shenanigans after the shooting and used small ghost figures as a reference to his nickname, “Casper.” His sister Alexa Flores told reporters that her brother meant everything to her.
The family’s account also underscores what is known regardless of the unanswered motive: Medina entered the bar alive, called his girlfriend for a ride as the confrontation grew uncomfortable and died minutes later. Investigators may eventually develop additional evidence explaining why he was targeted, but authorities have not publicly announced a definitive answer. The absence of one should not be filled with speculation about the relationship between the two men or their intentions.
Threlkeld was hospitalized after being shot by police and later appeared in Kenosha County court. At an Oct. 8 hearing, his $5 million cash bail was continued. Local reporting said he appeared in a wheelchair and did not contest the amount through his attorney. The bail determination keeps him detained unless the required amount is posted but does not constitute a finding that he committed the charged crimes.
The criminal complaint represents the prosecution’s account at an early stage of the case. Threlkeld remains presumed innocent, and prosecutors must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain convictions. As of the latest publicly verified reporting reviewed for this article, no final disposition of the seven Kenosha felony charges had been established, leaving both the court case and the unanswered question of motive unresolved.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 9, 2026.