Milwaukee security guard ordinance passes after gas station shooting

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Common Council passed an ordinance on Thursday, March 21 that cracks down on regulations for security guards.

It was done in honor of Isaiah Allen, who was killed at a gas station near Teutonia and Roosevelt last summer. His family called the ordinance a victory, but said their fight for change is far from over.

"My nephew's blood was the last blood that will ever be shed at a place like this," said Charisha Allen, Isaiah's aunt.

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Prosecutors accused William Pinkin, who was working at the gas station as a security guard, with shooting Allen in the head after he left the store without paying for snacks. Pinkin was convicted of homicide in 1990 and spent time in prison. He was released in 2018, but went back the next year and was released again in March 2023 – and had been banned from carrying a gun.

"He should have never been in this gas station as a security guard," said Charisha. "It was wrong, and we are never letting anything like that happen to any other family."

Shooting near Teutonia and Roosevelt; William Pinkin; Isaiah Allen

Ald. Andrea Pratt said the ordinance was born out of tragedy. It requires private security guards to be licensed, bonded and insured. It also requires security guards to go through a background check, and city leaders hope it restores trust.

"Because of this – is going to help everybody behind him," said Natalie Easter Allen, Isaiah's mother.

Court records show Pinkin is scheduled for trial in August for first-degree intentional homicide. He pleaded not guilty in September 2023.