Kenneth Junior French was born in 1971 and raised in the United States. By the age of 22, he was serving as a sergeant and mechanic in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Very little has been publicly shared about his upbringing or personal life prior to the crime, but reports during his trial indicated that French carried deep-seated anger and unresolved trauma from his past. His defense attorney later claimed that French was struggling with personal turmoil, including alleged family abuse—specifically accusing French's father of raping a family member, though no further legal action or confirmation was made public regarding that allegation.

While in the military, French was reportedly an average soldier with no major disciplinary problems. However, those who knew him said he had strong and often controversial opinions about politics, race, and sexuality. His service record did not hint at any violent behavior, but underneath the surface, French was clearly harboring intense resentment that would eventually erupt in a shocking and deadly attack.

On the night of August 6, 1993, Kenneth Junior French drove a black pickup truck to Luigi’s, a popular Italian restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was around 10 p.m. when French, wearing shorts and a fishing vest, entered the restaurant through the back kitchen door while carrying a pump-action shotgun and a rifle. Witnesses said he immediately began yelling about politics and homosexuality, spouting a hateful rant about civil rights and social acceptance. Without warning, he opened fire inside the restaurant, indiscriminately targeting customers and staff.

Four people were killed during the attack: 26-year-old Wesley Scot Cover, 46-year-old James F. Kidd, 73-year-old Pete Parrous (the owner of the restaurant), and his wife, 65-year-old Ethel Parrous. Seven others were injured in the chaos. The violent scene ended when Fayetteville police lieutenant Bill Simons responded quickly to the active shooting and shot French, wounding and subduing him on site.

Following his arrest, French made a chilling statement to authorities, defending his views and essentially blaming marginalized communities for seeking public acceptance. He expressed disdain toward civil rights movements and referred to the victims in a way that showed no remorse for the lives he had taken. His comments revealed a deep ideological hatred that fueled the massacre.

In court, French was charged with four counts of capital murder and eight counts of assault. His defense claimed he had been intoxicated and was mentally unstable, rooted in lifelong family trauma. Despite these arguments, French was found guilty on all charges. The jury, however, could not reach a unanimous decision on whether to impose the death penalty. As a result, the court sentenced him to four consecutive life terms without parole for the murders, plus an additional 35 years for the assaults. French remains incarcerated in North Carolina, serving out his life sentences with no possibility of release.

The case, later featured in the 1997 documentary Licensed to Kill, remains one of the most horrifying acts of hate-fueled violence in the state’s history. It sparked renewed discussions about extremism, access to firearms, and hate crimes in the military.