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Accused Juneteenth shooter in court
A 15-year-old boy is accused in a shooting that followed Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebration – wounding six people. Now, prosecutors are pushing his case to adult court.
MILWAUKEE - A 15-year-old boy is accused in a shooting that followed Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebration – wounding six people. Now, prosecutors are pushing his case to adult court.
Juvenile court is meant to keep kids out of the adult system, helping to connect them with resources or keep them out of trouble. But prosecutors said they have "little confidence" juvenile probation can protect the public in this case; the 15-year-old has already been locked up – arrested just a couple of months ago on gun charges.
Newly obtained court filings state the accused shooter "has shown an absolute refusal to be rehabilitated...and a continued desire to carry and use weapons to victimize others, even when released on pending weapons charges."
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15-year-old accused in shooting after Milwaukee Juneteenth celebration
Wauwatosa police were called to a McDonald's on Easter and arrested five people – including the 15-year-old. They found an AK-47 modeled semi-automatic pistol inside a backpack. Police reports said empty gun magazines and 35 rounds of ammunition were also inside.
The 15-year-old was later charged with multiple firearm offenses. Prosecutors wanted him detained in that case.
Wauwatosa police bodycam from Easter, April 9, arrest of 15-year-old
When he was 13 years old, a judge found the boy to be a felon for being a main actor in a series of armed robberies – but he wasn't kept in custody. Prosecutors said it was because of juvenile probation's "glowing record" of past successes. He was instead put on GPS monitoring and told to have a juvenile probation-approved adult with him.
Following Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebrations, prosecutors said the boy didn't have an adult with him and was carrying a gun – again – when he "got into a brawl," pulled out a gun and fired.
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That shooting wounded six people. Prosecutors said two of them were seriously hurt and as many as five will suffer "life-long consequences."
The 15-year-old has his next juvenile court hearing later next month. He remains detained.
FOX6 News reached out to the 15-year-old's attorney, but did not immediately hear back. Milwaukee County Children, Youth & Family Services – which oversees juvenile probation services – said in a statement:
"We cannot comment on individual cases. Children, Youth & Family Services is committed to community safety and meeting the needs of kids and families we serve."