Prosecutors: Fatal shooting near Girls Scouts HQ stemmed from argument over loud music

Dewayne Ford



MILWAUKEE -- Prosecutors say a fatal shooting in January near the Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin headquarters near 70th and O'Connor followed an argument between the victim and a neighbor over loud music.

Dewayne Ford, 32, of Milwaukee, faces two counts:


    According to a criminal complaint, police on Jan. 9 were called out to the area near 70th and O'Connor for a shooting, and found first responders with the Milwaukee Fire Department administering first aid to the victim, William Jones, who had wounds to his chest, back, inner left forearm and the top of his outer left forearm. An autopsy revealed he suffered two bullet wounds. His death was ruled a homicide. Investigators noted the door to an apartment unit in the area was open. The complaint said a fired .40 caliber Smith and Wesson cartridge casing as recovered from the scene.

    A witness indicated about five minutes before the shooting, she heard arguing coming from the lot behind the apartment building, and saw Jones standing in the lot by his back door. She said Jones was facing two subjects -- and she could only see the backs of their heads. She said when she heard the sound of gunfire, she saw a black vehicle pulling into a parking space and making a Y-turn. She offered a description of that vehicle -- a 2008 Cadillac STS.



    The complaint said investigators determined, through interviews with witnesses, that around 8:30 that morning, there had been an argument involving Jones and a neighbor over loud music. The homicide is believed to have occurred just after 1 p.m. that afternoon. Phone records showed approximately 15 minutes before the homicide, there were phone calls between the neighbor and Dewayne Ford. There were also calls approximately five minutes afterward.



    According to the complaint, approximately 11 minutes after the phone contact between Ford and Jones' neighbor, surveillance video showed a black Cadillac headed north on 70th Street -- turning west into the driveway -- entering the parking lot at 12:58 p.m. -- about five minutes prior to the shooting. The complaint said it was not on scene when first responders arrived.





    An investigation revealed the Cadillac has been reported stolen on Jan. 8 -- the day before the shooting. A review of phone records showed contact on Jan. 8 between Ford and the owner of the vehicle. They were also in contact on Jan. 10. That person told investigators "he had made a deal with (Ford) to take the vehicle because he was upside down on his loan." He said Ford took the vehicle in January, and a couple days later, Ford called and asked if he should report the vehicle stolen, and indicated he was having problems removing the GPS from the vehicle. He confirmed for investigators that Ford was in possession of the vehicle on the day of the shooting.



    DNA analysis revealed Ford was the source of DNA on Jones' right hand. Additionally, the complaint said Ford's Gmail account pinged at the location of the homicide approximately one minute after the homicide.

    The complaint said Ford was convicted in June 2016 on a charge of attempted armed robbery, as party to a crime -- and he was therefore not allowed to possess a firearm.