2 in custody after man killed in bar on New Year's Day; apparently while trying to protect fiancee

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police say they have arrested two suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Patrick Presley on the city's northwest side on Sunday, January 1st. It was the first homicide of the year in Milwaukee.

The suspects are a 31-year-old man and a 34-year-old man.

Milwaukee police say Presley was fatally shot around 5:00 a.m. Sunday inside Dee's Elegance Bar & Grill after getting into an altercation with at least two other people. Witnesses say it started after a strange man had been harassing Presley's fiancee.

"This guy attempted to grab his fiancee's hand again. Pat turned to the guy and said, 'I told you once -- she's here with somebody. What are you doing?' And before he could finish his sentence, the guy shot him," said Harvey Scales, Jr., a friend of Presley.

Fatal shooting at Dee's Elegance Bar & Grill

Friends tell FOX6 News, Presley was supposed to get married in 2017 -- and had two successful businesses.

Friends of Patrick Presley gather outside Dee's Elegance Bar & Grill

"He had his own home improvement business. He did entertainment music stuff on the side. And he took care of his kids," Scales said.

This case will be presented to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office in the coming days.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.