CEDARVILLE — Two men who were killed in a shooting in Cedarville early Sunday morning will be remembered by friends as caring fathers who loved sports and sharing laughs.
Kyle Tucker, 35, and Shaun Bradbury, 36, were shot as they walked out of the Cedar Inn at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. Tucker was pronounced dead at the scene, while Bradbury later died at a hospital in Rockford. Mike Steinhauser, 35, was also shot and taken to FHN Memorial Hospital.
The men went to the bar with two other friends who they frequently spent time with. Tom Keyes, who was lifelong friends with the men, was right behind them as they exited the bar together.
"Usually we're either in my garage or at Shaun's house," Keyes said. "We were supposed to go to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, and once in a while we'll do an '80s-themed party. This was just kind of an impromptu, 'Hey, let's get a drink.'"
Keyes did not want to share many details about the shooting itself, but said his group had no contact with the shooter before the incident.
"A lot of people are saying there was some type of altercation," he said. "We had never seen this person before, none of us knew this person and none of us saw him at the Cedar Inn.
"I just want to make sure that they're remembered correctly and it's not portrayed that these guys were out looking for trouble or causing trouble. These guys were great fathers and great friends."
Keyes went to Freeport High School with Tucker, Bradbury and Steinhauser — each of them graduating between 2000 and 2002. Keyes was particularly close with Bradbury, he said.
"Shaun loved sports," Keyes said. "He was a really good athlete in high school and just a really warm guy.
"He loved having a laugh and was really just a great, great father to his (two) daughters."
Delbert Bunker, who played softball with Tucker for several years, said he was shocked and heartbroken when he heard about the shooting.
"(Kyle) was a guy's guy and a great family man," Bunker said. "He loved his girls, loved his wife, loved to have fun and always had a smile on his face.
"I can hear his voice right now. Kyle had a personality where if you met him, you liked him, and he didn't even have to try."
Steinhauser is recovering in the hospital from injuries he sustained from a bullet that struck his fourth vertebrae and exited out of the back of his neck, Keyes said.
"Mike is doing well," Keyes said. "I went and saw him earlier today.
"He was able to eat today for the first time. He's walking and he's moving around."
Devin Marcum, 23, of Freeport is accused of shooting the men, according to the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office.
Marcum was apprehended in Freeport by the Freeport Police Department and held for sheriff's deputies. He was allegedly in possession of a firearm that matched the caliber of shell casings found at the scene. Marcum was at large for about two hours after the shooting, Mark Marti, the Stephenson County sheriff's chief deputy, said at a news conference Monday.
"We have a good working relationship with the agencies around us," Marti said. "We assist each other as much as possible. This case was handled very well."
Marcum is being held in the Stephenson County Jail. His bail is $600,000. He is charged with murder and attempted murder.
"I'm kind of sad to see where our generation's minds are at," Keyes said. "For somebody not to care about someone's life or their family, it's sad.
"It still doesn't feel real."
GoFundMe pages have been set up for the three shooting victims to help their families pay for funeral and hospital expenses.
To donate, visit gofundme.com and search for the title of each fundraiser.
• For Kyle Tucker, search "Jen Tucker and Girls"
• For Shaun Bradbury, search "Bradbury Family"
• For Mike Steinhauser, search "Mike Steinhauser"