Milwaukee road rage shooting, freeway shut down; man accused
Jael Rivera-Jimenez
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused in a road rage shooting that shut down part of I-94 near the Stadium Interchange on May 20.
Prosecutors charged 19-year-old Jael Rivera-Jimenez with three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon (from a vehicle, at or toward a building or vehicle). Court records show he is due in court Thursday, May 30.
The shooting happened on I-94 westbound at Mitchell Boulevard around 7:25 a.m. that day. A criminal complaint states the victim's red Honda was shot several times, but the driver and a passenger were not hit.
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Authorities said a "road rage conflict" near Miller Park Way and National preceded the shooting. The victim told investigators that a white Honda "suddenly pulled out in front of him" and began driving recklessly, the complaint states. Both vehicles kept driving north and got onto the freeway, and the victim said he tried to change lanes and get onto I-94 westbound when the white Honda cut him off and nearly hit him.
Both vehicles then took the ramp to I-94 westbound together and were headed west – the victim in the far left lane, the white Honda in the far right – when the suspect rolled down his window and fired multiple shots at the victims' vehicle, according to the complaint. The white Honda then sped off and got off the interstate at Hawley Road.
Road rage shooting on I-94 near stadium interchange, Milwaukee
Deputies shut down the interstate and found two bullet casings near the shooting scene, per the complaint.
Investigators watched surveillance video, which the complaint states showed Rivera-Jimenez get into the white Honda and turn in front of the victim's vehicle, "consistent with the victim's statement." A different video source showed both vehicles traveling close together as they headed toward Highway 175 and then I-94. A camera also captured the white Honda's license plate.
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Video also showed the two vehicles traveling on I-94 when a black pickup truck in the lane between them "suddenly hit its brakes." Prosecutors said it was "consistent" with when the driver of the white Honda began shooting at the victim's vehicle before speeding away and getting off at Hawley Road.
Deputies were able to identify Rivera-Jimenez from video and went to his home on May 24. The complaint states he was taken into custody wearing the same clothes the shooting suspect was seen wearing when he got into the white Honda before the shooting. The white Honda was also towed from Rivera-Jimenez's home.
Road rage shooting on I-94 near stadium interchange, Milwaukee
Rivera-Jimenez admitted to "aggressive driving or road rage" with the victims, per the complaint. He told deputies the victim rolled down the window and gave him the middle finger: "That's why I shot that (expletive)." He also said the passenger in the victim's car was waving a gun. He said he felt bad about the driver, but not the passenger, because ""how are you going to pull a finger on somebody in the street you don’t know, that’s how people dying and getting (expletive) up."
Based on the damage to the victim's vehicle, the complaint states the window was rolled up at the time of the shooting – not down, like Rivera-Jimenez said. Investigators also tracked down the driver of the vehicle that was between the victim's vehicle and Rivera-Jimenez's vehicle at the time of the shooting. That driver said nobody in the red Honda was waving a gun, and the window was not rolled down.