Man charged with fatally shooting 2 in Louisville restaurant had past firearms offenses
The Shepherdsville man charged with two counts of murder in the fatal shooting of two men in a Louisville restaurant Thursday night was previously charged with wanton endangerment and criminal mischief because of threats he made with a firearm, according to online court records.
Karson Reitz, 21, also published a series of Facebook posts defending Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who shot three men — killing two of them — during a protest last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A jury acquitted Rittenhouse on all charges.
According to Reitz's arrest citation, he was "observed on security footage displaying a firearm and discharging the firearm" inside Roosters at 7405 Preston Highway around 8:10 p.m. Thursday.
One man, 48-year-old Michael Miller of Southern Louisville, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene. A second man, 51-year-old Bradley Cross of Shepherdsville, was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital where he died of a gunshot wound.
Reitz was read his rights and admitted to the shooting in a statement to a Louisville Metro Police homicide detective, according to the citation. He pleaded not guilty to both charges during an arraignment hearing Sunday in Jefferson Circuit Court, according to online court records.
Police have given no motive for the shooting or said whether anyone else was armed.
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Almost two years earlier, Reitz was also charged for an incident with a firearm.
According to online court records, Reitz was arrested Jan. 19, 2020, after he and co-defendant Dylan House suspected individuals "of stealing $600 from one of their family members."
The two tracked down the people in their vehicle at the 200 block of Orion Drive in Shepherdsville, where Reitz "approached the driver side door with a firearm in his hand … with a small green laser attached."
He told one of the people to "get the f--- out" and then "shattered the driver side window with his arm and also shattered the windshield with his arm," according to the arrest citation for the incident.
"The witnesses, fearing for his and his passenger's lives and safety, then placed the vehicle in drive and fled the area while calling 911 for assistance," the citation reads.
Reitz ultimately was charged with amended counts of wanton endangerment and criminal mischief in the second degree. He was given diversion — a plan that allows defendants to avoid jail time if they meet certain conditions.
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In the weeks before the shooting at Roosters, Reitz shared several posts defending Rittenhouse. One post read: "I want a future where my kids can Rittenhouse anyone who dares to Rosenbaum them," referring to Joseph Rosenbaum, the first man Rittenhouse shot and killed on Aug. 25, 2020.
Reitz is being held in Louisville Metro Corrections on a $1 million cash bail.
Contact Ben Tobin at bjtobin@gannett.com and 502-377-5675 or follow on Twitter @Ben__Tobin.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Man charged killing 2 in Louisville restaurant had past gun crimes
