A man is dead after he was found with a knife wound in Kowloon's parking lot in Saugus, Massachusetts, on Saturday night, and his family is speaking out about the "horrible tragedy."
Saugus police responded to 948 Broadway around 9 p.m. and found the injured man, who was then taken to Mass General Hospital where he died from his injuries shortly after, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli announced in a joint statement on Sunday.
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He has since been identified as 42-year-old Patrick Kenney, Jr., of Milton.
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According to the district attorney's office, this incident appears to be accidental, and no one else is believed to be involved.
Kenney's family told NBC10 Boston they are devastated by the loss. They say Kenney worked for FEMA and he and his wife were raising twins.
Kenney was at Kowloon for a birthday party with about 30 other people, when his family believes there was some kind of freak accident. They add that they want a full police investigation so they have a better idea how exactly this all unfolded in the parking lot.
A high-level source directly related to the investigation tells NBC10 Boston that the victim had a knife attached to a lanyard around his neck when he was fatally wounded Saturday night.
The family released a statement Sunday night, remembering Kenney and asking for privacy during this very difficult time.
"Our family is mourning the loss of Patrick, focused on his wife Lauren and two young children, and trying to make sense of this horrific tragedy," the statement read. "Patrick was a loving father and husband, brother, son and loyal friend to many."
Bob Wong, whose family owns the institution along Massachusetts Route 1, told NBC10 Boston he is heartbroken by what happened. He says some in the family are regulars at his restaurant, calling them wonderful people.
"I know they're going through a tough period," he said. "We should really focus on them."
Police have not released further details about Kenney's death. This remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Video from Saturday night showed a large section of the restaurant's parking lot cordoned off with yellow police tape just outside Kowloon's front entrance. A number of patrons' cars were taped off inside the crime scene, as well, and several investigators and squad cars were visible.
The family restaurant and local staple had several events going on at the time, including a comedy show and a chance for families to see Santa.
"The Sopranos" Frank Santorelli, Jimmy Cash and Dave Lamb were on stage until 10:30 p.m. Every Friday and Saturday in December, patrons can also come meet Santa Claus and friends from 6 - 9 p.m., and there's December Saturdays with musical entertainment by DJ RMC, according to Kowloon's Facebook page.
One witness who spoke to NBC10 Boston shortly after the stabbing Saturday night said he was hoping the man would make it but acknowledged "it didn't look good."
"It looked like I saw a little bit of blood so I kept walking and then I saw a guy over there on the ground and I could just you know hear him gasping for breath and stuff," he said.
This is just the latest incident to occur at Kowloon, less than two weeks after a brawl at the iconic restaurant on Thanksgiving eve.
It comes on the heels of four people being charged for that fight that erupted at the popular family North Shore restaurant on Nov. 22.
The bloody melee, which involved several people and resulted in management closing the restaurant and bar early, was also captured on video that was shared on social media.
Bob Wong, whose family owns the institution along Massachusetts Route 1, told NBC10 Boston after that incident that he knew the videos that were posted online of the disturbance would get more clicks because of the name recognition of the restaurant, but he said that, even with extra precautions, there's no way of predicting when emotions will boil over.
Saugus police chief Michael Ricciardelli said at the time that the disturbance was "unacceptable and disgusting."
“The Kowloon is a family-friendly restaurant, unfortunately a few unruly patrons ruined a nice evening for many others," he said when police confirmed there was a . "A disturbance such as this on Thanksgiving Eve is unacceptable and disgusting.”
