Gas station homicide: Milwaukee brothers charged
MILWAUKEE - Two Milwaukee brothers have been charged in the April 23 shooting death of Lashont Stewart near 27th and Burleigh.
Peltrion Banks, 18, has been charged with intentional homicide, party to a crime, use of a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm as a felon.
Laprada Cross, 17, has been charged with intentional homicide, party to a crime, use of a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, Banks and Cross were part of a group of young men who'd steal daily from the Gas Depot Food Mart on 27th and Burleigh. The clerk told police the two were part of a group that stole from the store on April 22, and the victim – later identified as Stewart – had chased them away.
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Surveillance cameras from the store and a city pole camera captured the shooting.
The two suspects – later identified as Banks and Cross – are seen walking behind the gas station and out of camera view for a short time, before reappearing and walking towards the front of the gas station on April 23.
When the suspects walk around the corner towards the gas station's front entrance doors, Stewart was standing out front. He sees the two suspects and starts walking in their direction. The two suspects turn around and walk back around the corner of the gas station.
A detective report says they were appearing to antagonize Stewart.
Video shows Banks and Stewart talking for about 13 seconds, then Stewart walks back to the door of the store and stands there. Banks then shows Stewart something on his phone with the flashlight on. Stewart then puts his hands out to the sides and shrugs as he walks toward the suspects "in a calm manner," the complaint said.
Banks is then seen reaching into his waistband and pulling out an object, according to the complaint. There is a muzzle flash and Stewart begins to run away from Banks. Banks is seen following Stewart, raising his arm and firing two shots. Stewart falls to the ground in front of the store and Banks and Cross run out of view.
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Stewart was pronounced dead after a single shot to the chest, the medical examiner's report said.
Two days later, on April 25, the clerk called police saying the suspects who shot Stewart were recently back in the store. Surveillance showed Banks and Cross in the gas station minutes prior. Cross purchased $5 worth of items while Banks stole other items, the complaint read.
On the surveillance, detectives observed that Banks was wearing a red sweater, and red and black pants, while Cross was wearing a black sweater, black jeans, and the same shoes as he was wearing on the day of the homicide.
Later that evening, detectives parked nearby the gas station where they were able to see if the suspects would return. At approximately 7:09 p.m., Banks was observed walking into the gas station wearing the same clothing as earlier in the day, then exit the gas station a few minutes later. Detectives then followed Banks to a home a block away and observed him enter the lower unit of the duplex, a complaint said.
Detectives knocked on the door and Banks answered. Detectives told him they were in the neighborhood looking for video and if his Ring doorbell camera was working. Banks stated to detectives the camera didn’t work and invited them into the house and made them aware that his mother wasn’t home, but his brother was home with him. Banks was then taken into custody. After Banks was placed into custody, detectives located his brother inside the home. Cross was wearing the same shoes that he was previously wearing. Detectives then observed on the rear bedroom floor, in plain view the same t-shirt Banks was wearing earlier.
In a Mirandized interview on Tuesday, April 26, Banks told detectives that he frequents the gas station. He was then shown still photos of himself and Cross at the location on April 23. Banks identified himself and Cross in the surveillance photos. Banks was also shown a photo of Stewart, and he stated he knows him from being at the gas station. Banks then identified himself and Cross in a still photo just before the shooting. The last photo shown to Banks was a photo of a muzzle flash and Stewart standing right in front of the muzzle flash. Banks stated the person where the muzzle flash was coming from was him, but that it was a flash from his camera and not a muzzle flash. Banks then requested an attorney, the complaint read.
Banks made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Saturday, April 30. Cash bond was set at $200,000. Cross also made his initial appearance on Saturday – cash bond was set at $50,000. Both Banks and Cross are due back in court on May 10 for their preliminary hearings.