'Don't disrespect my family:' Prosecutors say man admitted to fatally shooting his stepfather
MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee man stands accused of walking into his mother's home and fatally shooting his stepfather in front of his mother and 7-year-old half-sister -- a crime prosecutors said he admitted to.
One count of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon was filed Tuesday, Oct. 15 against Melvonta Jones, 24, of Milwaukee in connection with the shooting that happened Friday, Oct. 11 near Fond du Lac Avenue and Beale Street.
According to a criminal complaint, officers who responded to the area were flagged down by an individual who led them to a witness, the victim's wife, who said the victim, Benjamin Simms Sr., 44, had been shot inside a home. Simms was found on the floor in the living room with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. Life-saving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful. An autopsy revealed he suffered two gunshot wounds -- one to the head, and one to the abdomen.
Investigators found damage to the living room wall where a bullet hit the wall and ricocheted towards the opposite side of the room, where three bullet fragments were found. A bullet was found in the drywall on another wall. Three fired 9mm casings were found in the living room.
The victim's wife said she was at home with her husband and her 7-year-old daughter when her son, Melvonta Jones, knocked on the front door. When he came inside, Jones asked her if she was "good," and the complaint said she indicated she was fine. Jones then turned to Simms, telling him he "better not disrespect" Jones or his mother. Prosecutors said Jones then pulled a gun from his pocket, aimed it at Simms, and fired. He then left the home.
According to the complaint, Jones told investigators "he wasn't originally planning to shoot the victim, only to scare/threaten him." He indicated he went to his mother's house, walked into the home, and told his mother he loved her and wasn't going to let anything come between them. Jones said Simms then asked him what he was talking about. Jones said he then pulled out a gun, and Simms said, "What you going to do, shoot me?" He said he then aimed for Simms' head, but missed, and believed he hit the wall. He said he believed he fired a second time, but wasn't sure. He indicated if Simms was shot, he would pay the medical bills, and if Simms was dead, he was "willing to be accountable for it."