Michael Riley pleads not guilty to charges in shooting incident at Wisconsin Lutheran H.S.

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 37-year-old Michael Riley pleaded not guilty on Monday, February 2nd to charges in connection with a January 15th shooting in the parking lot of Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

Riley faces the following criminal charges: first-degree reckless injury, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, discharge of a firearm in a school zone and possession of a firearm by a felon. The court on Monday determined there was enough evidence to bind Riley over for trial.

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched to Wisconsin Lutheran High School for a shots fired complaint. When officers arrived, the complaint says they spoke to several witnesses who said “there was a disagreement between two high school age girls at a basketball game that had just completed.” The witnesses told the officers the dispute grew into a physical altercation in the parking lot involving multiple people.

Michael Riley



The complaint says the argument continued, until Riley and a friend of one of the girls got involved.

The friend told police that Riley pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. The friend then said he “saw the defendant shoot the gun towards him.” The 15-year-old was struck in the knee with a .38 caliber bullet. That same bullet also struck a Wisconsin Lutheran High School teacher in his foot.

The criminal complaint makes reference to a 1999 conviction for escaping criminal arrest for Riley.

If convicted, Riley faces up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.

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