By Fallan Patterson

Staff Writer

Two brothers were gunned down outside a St. Cloud bar late Tuesday night after a fight broke out between them and another patron.

 

James E. Kun Jr., 23, died in the parking lot of Len'z Dug-Out Pub, 4227 13th St. in St. Cloud after Jason Deric Clair allegedly shot him and his brother, Joel W. Kun, 21, during an argument. Joel Kun, of 6446 Apple St. in St. Cloud, died early Wednesday morning after being airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Clair, 28, of 2002 Oak St., Kissimmee, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is currently at the Osceola County Jail on no bond.

Tuesday night at the pub is advertised on Facebook as “the night at The Dug-Out” with 25-cent draft beers starting at 7 p.m. Bar patrons, who declined to give their names, said the night is often called “quarter fight night” due to the number of altercations that occur.

According to St. Cloud Police Department records, the 3-year-old bar, located across Old Canoe Creek Road and less than a quarter mile from the police department, is well-known to officers.

Police made more than 80 calls to the bar since August 2010 ranging in nature from routine bar checks and trespassing to several incidents of disorderly conduct and assault and battery. Verbal disagreements and a few physical fights also were detailed in police reports.

The Kun brothers, who were regulars at the bar, and Clair were fighting over an ex-girlfriend of one of the brothers who had been seen with, Sgt. Kirk Zilke said.

The fight started and stopped throughout the night, with witnesses telling police Clair more than once threatened to kill the Kun brothers and their “whole family,” the police report said.

“Due to the fact several statements were made prior to the shooting, it shows the event was premeditated,” Det. Christian Anderson wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Once the gun was emptied, bar patrons apprehended Clair while awaiting police arrival, causing multiple injuries to Clair's face and head. Clair later told police the patrons attacked him.

Multiple officers arrived on the scene one minute after the first 911 call at about 11:55 p.m.

Clair told detectives he shot the brothers in self-defense after the Kuns, who he claimed he did not know prior to the incident, began “trying to fight him” inside the bar as he attempted to leave.

Anderson is still investigating whether Clair had a concealed weapons permit.

This is Clair's first brush with the law in Osceola County, other than several minor traffic infractions.

Joel Kun had several criminal offenses on his record, including a battery arrest in April 2009. He also received six months probation, court records show, for petit theft, also in April 2009.

James Kun, of 2464 Pine Chase Circle, St. Cloud, was known to friends as JJ. He graduated from St. Cloud High School and attended the University of Phoenix, according to his personal Facebook page.

Kun wrote briefly about his daughter on Facebook and said he enjoyed fishing, skateboarding and spending time with his friends. On June 2, one of his last Facebook posts read, “Oh how the world works ...”

An unidentified person posted on Kun's Facebook page that a joint funeral is being planned for the brothers and that an account was opened in their names at CenterState Bank to assist with expenses.