Nearly six months after a horrific stabbing incident at a Richardson bar that left four individuals injured, the patrons who bravely intervened to save a beloved bartender are reflecting on their shared experience and recovery. This reunion comes in the wake of a community fundraiser aimed at supporting their healing journey.
On May 6, Stephen Kwembe made a chilling 911 call, threatening to kill a bartender at Good Vibes Bar & Grill, whom he claimed had previously ejected him. Upon arrival, he leaped over the bar and attacked bartender Fefe Cansino with a knife. In a heroic act, three regular customers—Reuben Blackwell, Harold Stemper, and Garrett Ledger—jumped over the bar to protect Cansino from the assailant.
During the altercation, all three patrons sustained serious stab wounds before police arrived and fatally shot Kwembe. Cansino and the three men spent considerable time hospitalized due to their injuries, marking a long road to recovery.
In July, Cansino expressed her deep gratitude towards her rescuers, stating, “I can never repay them for jumping in and saving me, and putting their own bodies on the line.” Their recent gathering at a fundraiser highlighted the strong bond formed through their traumatic experience.
Reflecting on that fateful night, Blackwell recounted his instinctive reaction to jump in, despite the danger. “I looked over there and I went, ‘What the f–k? And I just jumped over the bar and grabbed that motherf—ker and I remember falling back,” he said. Stemper and Ledger shared similar sentiments, with Stemper recalling his immediate thought: “If I don’t do something, he’s going to kill her.”
Ledger described his realization of being wounded only after the confrontation ended, noting, “I lift up my shirt, and I’m lit up and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.” Both Stemper and Blackwell suffered grave injuries, with Stemper stating, “He stabbed me right in the heart, in the bottom of my heart. I have staples in my heart now that’ll never go away.” Blackwell recounted the shocking sight of his injuries, saying, “I seen my guts hanging out.”
Despite their harrowing injuries, the three men expressed that seeing Cansino alive made their sacrifices worthwhile. Stemper remarked, “God wrapped his arms right around all of us,” highlighting the miraculous nature of their survival. The trio also conveyed their heartfelt appreciation to the community members who attended the fundraiser and contributed to their recovery efforts. “We take care of people. We take care of one another. And that’s what we need to have more going on in life, people watching out for one another,” Blackwell emphasized.
