Milwaukee man charged in shooting incident at Sam's Club: 'Got carried away in the heat of the moment"



Luis Cardona-Contreras



FRANKLIN -- A 56-year-old Milwaukee man is now charged in connection with a shooting incident that unfolded outside the Sam's Club in Franklin on Saturday, July 27. The accused is Luis Cardona-Contreras. He faces a single charge of first degree reckless injury, use of a dangerous weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, Franklin officers were dispatched to the Sam's Club around noon on Saturday for a shooting complaint. They spoke with the driver of a pickup struck who was shot and wounded. The pickup truck driver said he was turning in the parking lot of Sam's Club. He told officers he and Cardona-Contreras "were frustrated with each other's driving but no words were exchanged." The pickup truck driver then went to park his vehicle and began walking toward the store.

Shooting in Sam's Club parking lot



The complaint indicates a few moments later, Cardona-Contreras and woman in his car pulled up next to the pickup truck driver and "began yelling and cursing" at him. The complaint says a "female exited the vehicle and stood between (the pickup truck driver) and Cardona-Contreras. The pickup truck driver then "observed (Cardona-Contreras) pointing a firearm at him. (The pickup truck driver) slapped the firearm down, but (Cardona-Contreras) raised the firearm up again and fired a round striking (the pickup truck driver) in the upper chest."

Shooting in Sam's Club parking lot



Cardona-Contreras drove down the street and parked, the complaint says. When police arrived on the scene, they "recovered a .45 caliber IWI Jericho 941 semi-automatic firearm with a 10 round magazine as well as a spent .45 caliber casing."

When investigators interviewed Cardona-Contreras, he stated "he was upset with the driver of the green pickup because the driver cut him off." Cardona-Contreras stated the driver of the pickup "did not have a weapon or threaten the use of a weapon. The defendant further stated he got carried away in the heat of the moment."

The complaint indicates most of this incident was captured by surveillance cameras outside of the store.