Ellis Wayne Souders, 42, was killed in the early morning hours of September 5, 2020, at Whiskey River Pub in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Known by the nickname Sweet Tooth, Souders was described as friendly and outgoing and often tried to de-escalate conflicts among patrons. That night he was attempting to calm a situation involving another patron, Shannon Ward, and even walked with Ward to the bar to buy him a drink shortly before the shooting.

Bar surveillance cameras recorded the moment Ward, then 45 and from Elizabethtown, shot Souders once in the head. Patrons tackled and disarmed Ward immediately, and Bowling Green police arrested him at the River Street scene. Souders, an employee at the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant who volunteered with local civic groups, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ward was charged with murder and first-degree wanton endangerment, later pleaded guilty, and during sentencing sixteen witnesses testified and the video was shown. A judge sentenced Ward to 40 years in prison, expressing sympathy for Souders’ family and noting that no sentence could bring him back. If anyone knew Ellis, his routines, or what led up to that night, please share what can help the record.