27-year-old Milwaukee man charged, accused of shooting his uncle during argument

MILWAUKEE -- A 27-year-old Milwaukee man been criminally charged in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in Milwaukee on Monday night, May 23rd.  Perry Wallace has been charged with first degree reckless homicide in the shooting death of his uncle, 45-year-old Robert Thomas.

Perry Wallace

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called out to the area near N. 24th Place and W. Burleigh Street around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, May 23rd to investigate a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers were flagged down by several people who directed them to a field behind a residence in the area. There, officers located Robert Thomas lying on the ground. He suffered a gunshot wound to the face -- and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The complaint indicates that officers observed the victim wearing a knapsack on the front of his body that contained metal plates and a sledgehammer with a broken handle. The officers also observed a stew pot lying in the grass near the victim. At that time, family members informed the officers that Wallace and Thomas lived together in a basement -- and that they both were schizophrenic.

The criminal complaint states, "according these family members, it was the victim’s custom to wear the stew pot as a helmet. Recovered from the victim’s person were a large knife, numerous unspent cartridges of varying calibers, and a length of metal pipe with a bullet jammed into one end."

During an interview with investigators, Wallace said "that he and his uncle got into an argument on the above date because his uncle would not shut the door. Wallace states that the argument became a physical fight. Wallace states that he punched his uncle, threw bricks at him, and struck him on the head with a metal pole.  The defendant states that he retrieved his shotgun from the basement, brought it out of the house and into the backyard, pointed it at his uncle’s face, and fired the weapon."

An autopsy found innumerable shotgun pellet strikes to the victim's neck, face and head.

If convicted, Wallace could spent up to 65 years in prison.