Bond set at $250K: Man accused of shooting his sons makes first court appearance

MILWAUKEE COUNTY (WITI) -- Robert Washington Sr. -- the Glendale man accused of shooting his own sons on Thursday, June 26th made his first appearance in court on Tuesday, July 1st.

In court, Washington Sr.'s bond was set at $250,000 -- and a judge ordered him to have no contact with his 15-year-old son, Wesley Washington.

Robert Washington



57-year-old Washington Sr. faces two charges in the case: one count of first degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of first degree reckless injury, use of a dangerous weapon.

The incident happened at a home on Theresa Lane in Glendale.

Law enforcement officials were dispatched just after 2:00 p.m.

Upon their arrival, they discovered two men lying in the driveway -- one of them 20-year-old Robert Washington Jr., and one of them 15-year-old Wesley Washington.

The complaint against Robert Washington Sr. says Wesley Washington told police that his father had shot him and his brother. The complaint says Wesley Washington told police that after shooting them, his father had gone back into the house on Theresa Lane.

The complaint says police moved Robert Washington Jr. and Wesley Washington away from the "line of fire" from the house on Theresa Lane.

Robert and Wesley Washington



Officials attempted to resuscitate Robert Washington Jr., but he was not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The complaint says Wesley Washington was shot twice -- once in the thigh and once in the calf.

The complaint says Wesley Washington told police he was playing basketball with his brother when his father came out and appeared to be intoxicated.

The complaint says his father got in the way of them playing basketball, and Wesley Washington said he knocked their father over.

The complaint says Robert Washington Jr. then got upset with Wesley Washington -- and said "you should not have done that. You should not have run over your father." The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. got up and said "you do that again, you ain't gonna wake up."

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. then walked into the house and came out with a gun -- pointing it at Wesley Washington and firing two or three shots at him -- striking him in the leg.

Robert Washington Jr. was cutting the grass, and the complaint says he ran over to his father and Wesley Johnson heard a third shot.

The complaint says Wesley Johnson then ran into the house and called 911 -- running out of the house upon seeing his father.

The complaint says Glendale police called the home on Theresa Lane, and Robert Washington Sr. answered the call. Shortly thereafter, he gave himself up -- crawling out of the house, according to the complaint.

Robert Washington Sr. was placed in a squad car, and began talking.

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. said "He is a 15-year-old kid tried to bully me, bully me all the time."

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. told police he was playing basketball with his sons, and said Wesley Washington hit him. The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. told police Wesley hit him "like a football player" --- but they were playing basketball.

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. told police he doesn't like the way Wesley Washington talks to him -- saying Wesley has an attitude and he doesn't like it.

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. told police he was being bullied and disrespected in his own house by his wife and his children -- saying he didn't know what to do, and this was the last straw.

The complaint says Robert Washington Sr. admitted to police to drinking some vodka that day -- saying that he had been drinking at Wesley Washington's basketball game, which he had watched earlier that afternoon.

Robert Washington Sr. told police "I should not have brought the gun out. I killed my son," according to the complaint.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Robert Washington Jr. -- and concluded he suffered a gunshot wound on the right side of his chest. The Medical Examiner says the bullet punctured Robert Washington Jr.'s right lung in several places.

Harvey Altschull says he had an interaction with Robert Washington Sr. years ago, when he needed help moving a television.

"I went over and asked if he could help, and he came over with one of his sons and they got it out of the trunk and carried it into the house," Altschull said.

Altschull says he's never forgotten that.

"He was a nice guy," Altschull said.

Altschull says he was surprised to see Robert Washington Sr.'s home surrounded by police on Thursday -- and shocked to learn what had happened.

"I don't know what demons he had," Altschull said.

Meanwhile, wife Annette and injured son Wesley say they're doing well, all things considered.

"We're broken, but we're okay because we have God in our life and we will get through this. We have so many well-wishers that have come out on our behalf and so the only message I want to get out is in lieu  of flowers and in lieu of a lot of the things people are offering I ask they make a contribution to any BMO Harris bank," Annette Washington said.

Annette Washington says the money will go toward Wesley's college education.

Between the two charges he is facing, Robert Washington is facing a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison.

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