Chad Medlin, 36, was shot and killed just before 1 a.m. on November 2, 2024, near Main and Elm Streets in Eau Claire, Michigan. Medlin, an off-duty firefighter and U.S. Army veteran, died outside the Hometown Bar and Grill; a second man was wounded and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities arrested 47-year-old Rigoberto Gomez of Eau Claire in connection with the killing and charged him with murder. A 43-year-old woman, Elizabeth Harper of Stevensville, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence after she allegedly gave Gomez a ride, then later removed and discarded a gun case from her property.

At trial the prosecution presented body camera footage from the first responding officer, the alleged murder weapon and a copper shell casing, ballistics and tool mark testimony linking the gun to a wound in the other victim, a fingerprint on the gun magazine identified as Gomez’s right thumb, DNA evidence, and nearby security video. The community remembers Medlin as a devoted firefighter, veteran and father.

If anyone knew Chad Medlin or has information about the shooting, please share what you know.