Milwaukee store cashier killed over pizza argument: complaint
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused of killing a convenience store cashier during an argument over pizza on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Prosecutors charged 38-year-old Charles Leggett with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records show he is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $200,000.
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Shooting scene
It happened shortly before noon at Action Food and Liquor near King Drive and Keefe Avenue.
According to a criminal complaint, the 911 caller said he did not see what happened, but someone came in and "was arguing with the cashier." The caller then heard a single gunshot and found the victim on the floor behind the counter.
The victim was identified as 26-year-old Jamil Owies, who died at the scene despite life-saving attempts from first responders. Prosecutors said a fired bullet was found on the floor near his body, and a single 9mm bullet casing was found in a candy box on the checkout counter.
Charles Leggett
"It's something that's hurting a lot of us," said Mohammad Owais, Jamil's brother. "To take someone's life for no reason – that is unacceptable."
Surveillance video
Surveillance footage showed the shooter pulled up in a Nissan Sentra and walked into the store alone around 11:45 a.m. that morning. While inside, court filings said the shooter placed an order at the counter and walked to the back of the store before returning and talking to Owies.
The video did not have audio, but prosecutors said "it is apparent the shooter is upset" as he began to motion toward Owies – who appeared to argue back. The shooter then pulled out a gun, reached over the counter and shot Owies in the chest. He then ran out of the store and fled in the Nissan.
The shooter's face was "clearly visible" in the "high quality" surveillance video, the complaint states. It also "clearly shows" the Nissan Sentra's "numerous distinctive features," as well as the license plate.
Leggett was identified as a suspect through facial recognition software based on previous booking photographs. Court filings said Leggett was involved in a crash in 2022 in which the license plates of the car he was in, a Chrysler 300, did not match the plates' registered vehicle, which was a black 2010 Nissan Sentra.
In custody
Hours after the shooting, police found the Nissan parked outside an apartment complex near 27th and Juneau.
The complaint states an employee of the apartment complex gave police access to the building's surveillance, which showed a man – who they believed to be Leggett – going into an apartment. Officers from MPD's Special Investigations Division later returned to that apartment and took Leggett into custody.
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A search of the apartment uncovered a 9mm handgun, according to prosecutors. A search of the Nissan found a pair of "Croc" style shoes that appeared to be the ones the shooter was wearing at the convenience store.
Once in custody, the complaint states Leggett told investigators he went to the store to buy pizza and noticed an employee was making pizza without wearing gloves – so he told the cashier, Owies, to have the pizza remade because "it was unsanitary." He said it led to an argument.
Prosecutors said Leggett admitted he shot the cashier one time, ran out of the store, drove to a friend's house and did not tell anybody what happened. He identified himself in the surveillance video and confirmed the gun found was the one he used. He also said he never saw Owies with a weapon.