Milwaukee man accused; possessing fully automatic firearm outside school
MILWAUKEE - An 18-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of having a fully automatic firearm on the grounds of a school – and then fleeing from police. The accused is Elijahwon Wilson – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Sell/possess/use/transport machine gun
- Possession of a firearm on grounds of a school
- Obstructing an officer
Elijahwon Wilson
According to the criminal complaint, a woman told police that on Thursday, July 13, she was picking up her child at the Milwaukee School of Languages High School near 84th and Burleigh. She spotted "a suspect exit a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, walk towards a group of children on the school grounds, and then lift up his shirt to reveal a black firearm with a tan grip," the complaint says. The woman called the school administration and described the person and the firearm.
A Milwaukee police officer responded to the school and spotted the defendant near the front entrance of the school. The officer ordered Wilson to stop, but the "defendant ran away while reaching for his waistband area, while ignoring (the officer's) commands," the complaint says.
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A foot chase followed.
"I was getting off the bus. The boy was running around here. The police were chasing him," said Jasmyn Sanders.
While the officer lost site of the defendant during that pursuit, he eventually took him into custody inside a fenced-in residential yard.
When the officer retraced the defendant's flight path, he "found a black Glock 19 firearm with a tan grip and an extended magazine containing 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The firearm also had an aftermarket disconnect switch that suggested it was fully automatic," the complaint says.
"I think that’s very unsafe because there’s a bunch of kids here," said Shalya Bhrunson, student.
When interviewed by police, the defendant stated "he had been playing dice with friends when an unidentified male handed him the firearm," the complaint says. Wilson went on to say "he was handling the firearm when he saw the police walking towards him and got scared, so he tucked the firearm into his waistband and ran until he could get rid of the firearm," the complaint says.
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Wilson noted to police he goes to Obama School, but was attending the School for Languages over the summer.
"We shouldn’t have guns and stuff because it’s not safe for us. We’re losing kids every day. Just put the guns down and come together. Stop all this nonsense," Brunson said.
Wilson made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Tuesday, July 18. Cash bond was set at $1,000.
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Milwaukee Public Schools
"MPS is aware of an incident that happened outside of the Milwaukee School of Languages last week. The incident is under investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department. MPS will follow our code of conduct in addressing consequences for anyone who was determined to be involved in this situation.
"Safety is the number one priority of Milwaukee Public Schools. Whenever there is potential for an incident on or near a school that could impact the well-being of students or staff, protocols are in place to keep everyone safe."