Charges filed in double shooting that left one man dead following drug transaction near 29th & Cherry

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- A 28-year-old Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection with a double shooting that happened back in May. One man lost his life in that shooting.

The accused is 28-year-old Juan Sandoval of Milwaukee. He is facing one count of first degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, habitual criminality repeater -- and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, habitual criminality repeater.

Juan Sandoval



The double shooting happened back on May 29th. Police were called out to the scene near 29th and Cherry -- and they learned Tony Bouravanh had sustained a gunshot wound to the head while seated in a vehicle. A second victim sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg.

Tony Bouravanh was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy determined Bouravanh died as a result of the gunshot wound to his head. His death was ruled a homicide.

According to the criminal complaint, a .9mm Luger cartridge casing was discovered at the scene.

Police spoke with the second shooting victim in this case -- the man who was seated in the vehicle with Bouravanh when they were both shot. According to the complaint, he indicated he and Bouravanh had been out fishing, and on the way back, they went by the area near 30th and Cherry, when the man said he heard someone call out to Bouravanh. Bouravanh then pulled over to the side of the road.

The man told police he saw someone get out of an SUV that was parked across the street.

The complaint indicates the man told police the person, whom he believed to be Hispanic, was wearing a fluorescent orange construction worker type vest, and he and Bouravanh began having a conversation.

The man told police he heard the Hispanic man ask Bouravanh if he had his money -- and just prior to the shooting, the man asked that Bouravanh empty his pockets.

The man said he heard at least one shot, and he then immediately bolted from the vehicle.

Police spoke with Juan Sandoval, who indicated he was in the area on the date of the shooting to engage in a marijuana transaction. Sandoval indicated this transaction had been set up by a white man he knew.

Once Bouravanh arrived there, Sandoval told police he saw Bouravanh and another man get out of their vehicle and walk over to the white man and black man. Sandoval said when he was flagged down by one of the men, he knew they were ready to make the transaction.

According to the complaint, Sandoval told police he got out of his vehicle, and was handed a gun by someone else who was in his vehicle. When Sandoval arrived at Bouravanh's vehicle, the complaint indicates Sandoval saw him flashing "big stacks of money" and "bragging about how he could buy two pounds of weed." Sandoval said he saw Bouravanh's passenger reaching towards the gear shifter -- starting to put the vehicle in drive. The passenger then yelled while Bouravanh grabbed the pound of marijuana Sandoval had brought to sell.

At that point, Sandoval told police he pulled his firearm, and pointed the firearm into the car behind Bouravanh's head and towards his passenger.

The complaint indicates the passenger grabbed the barrel, and as the vehicle took off, the gun went off.

Sandoval told police he was able to grab the marijuana back -- but he didn't get any money from the drug transaction.

Sandoval indicated to police that he threw the firearm off the Hoan Bridge.

The criminal complaint filed in this case makes reference to Sandoval being an adjudicated delinquent in July 2003 of felony murder as party to a crime.

Additionally, in May of 2013, Sandoval was convicted of the felony offense of adjudicated delinquent in possession of a firearm.