53rd and Villard fatal shooting: Milwaukee man charged

MILWAUKEE - A 23-year-old Milwaukee man is accused in connection with a fatal shooting that happened near 53rd and Villard on Sunday, Sept. 25. The accused is Prarie Kelly – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

• First-degree reckless homicide
• Possession of a firearm by a felon

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee's ShotSpotter system detected gunfire near 53rd and Villard on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 25. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. After being taken to a hospital for treatment, the victim died from his injuries.

Homicide near 53rd and Villard, Milwaukee

A detective recovered "3 Underwood brand 9mm casings from the street at the homicide scene," the complaint says.

Investigators later recovered video that showed a gray SUV was traveling west on Villard Avenue, then turned southbound on N. 53rd Street, and shows the victim's car traveling northbound on 53rd Street, approaching the median. The complaint says the "suspect auto" approached the victim's vehicle." The driver's door on the suspect vehicle opens "and the occupant is observed discharging a firearm into the driver's side of (the victim's) Altima," the complaint says. The complaint says the SUV then fled the scene.

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Investigators reviewed the video and noted "the suspect vehicle had a loud exhaust system, as well as a unique paper front registration system and damage to the passenger side rear bumper and rear passenger quarter panel," the complaint says. Detectives reported locating video of a matching vehicle from a traffic stop on Sept. 7.

The complaint says officers located the SUV in question -- and towed it to a secure location. Detectives located a silver 9mm Underwood brand cartridge in the SUV's center console. Police also "recovered a set of 2 tan handgun grips in the driver's side door pocket of the vehicle," the complaint says.

Homicide near 53rd and Villard, Milwaukee

A detective conducted an interview of the defendant, Kelly, on Oct. 5. Kelly admitted that he owns the SUV that had been towed. Kelly stated it was damaged in an accident. When confronted with pictures of the suspect vehicle from surveillance video, Kelly "claimed it could not be his car because he got his windows tinted about a month prior." Kelly also stated the exhaust on the SUV was louder than normal because the vehicle was involved in an accident. Kelly also claimed he did not have a firearm.

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The complaint says a different detective later spoke with a person who said Kelly "admitted to him that he had been involved in a near accident at 53rd and Villard, and that after he confronted the other driver, he believed the other driver was 'reaching down' so he shot him and drove away." This person also told police "the defendant was armed with a tan Glock 19X," the complaint says.

Kelly made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Sunday, Oct. 9. Cash bond was set at $100,000 -- and Kelly was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 18.