Milwaukee homicides: Teen wanted, accused in 2 shootings days apart

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee teen is accused in shootings that left two people – including a 9-year-old boy – dead just days apart in June. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Court records show 17-year-old Damarion Glenn is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for one shooting and first-degree reckless homicide for the other, among other crimes.

Apartment shooting | June 13 

Police were called for a shooting at an apartment complex on Swan Road just north of Brown Deer Road. Officers found 11 bullet casings and numerous bullet strikes to windows and two different floors of the multi-story building.

A criminal complaint states bullets went into a fifth-floor bedroom where three kids – ages 12, 9 and 6 – were present. The 9-year-old, identified as Jonael Zambrano, was in his bed when he was shot. He died at a hospital.

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Investigators spoke with a witness two days after the shooting. Per the complaint, the witness said a group of people was outside the apartment complex when one of them fired a shot. Glenn and someone else then "fired into the air in response" before later shooting into the building, the witness said.

Prosecutors said police spoke to 15-year-old Christian Hubanks on Aug. 14 – more than two months after Zambrano was killed. He said he and Glenn went to the apartment complex because another person had been talking "crazy" about them. They later saw that person and fired shots into the air, he said – and the other person shot at them but missed.

According to the complaint, Hubanks said Glenn was mad about what happened, so they went back to where they thought the other person lived and shot at it from outside. He also said Glenn is now "somewhere out of state" and that he knew Glenn and another teen were involved in a shooting that happened at Washington Park a few days later. 

Both Glenn and Hubanks are charged with first-degree reckless homicide and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety in the case. Hubanks made his initial court appearance on Aug. 19, and his cash bond was set at $300,000.

Washington Park shooting | June 19

A 911 caller reported a fight at the park involving roughly 50 kids before shots rang out shortly before 9 p.m. The 17-year-old victim was taken to a hospital, where he died of his gunshot wounds. The victim has since been identified as Sherrone Thornton.

Based on information in the criminal complaint, Thornton was the intended victim of the gunfire that led to Zambrano's death on June 13.

A deputy was already on patrol in the area due to a concert that ended prior to the shooting, according to a criminal complaint. Organizers said the shooting wasn’t related to the Juneteenth event.

The complaint states another suspect – other than the person who shot the 17-year-old – fired a fully-automatic pistol into a crowd before fleeing the park. That person was identified as 17-year-old Onterio Girley, now charged with several felonies but not accused in the homicide.

A Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office drone was used to monitor the shooting. Prosecutors said it showed two distinct groups near the playground prior to the shooting. One group included Girley and the 17-year-old victim, the other included two suspects – one of whom was shirtless, the other of whom was later identified as Shotwell.

The drone video showed the shirtless suspect pull something from his waistband and raise his arm toward the 17-year-old victim before a muzzle flash was seen, according to the complaint. The victim then fell to the ground, and the shirtless suspect ran. Shotwell then appeared to pull something from under his gray sweatshirt and aim his arm at the victim before two distinct muzzle flashes were seen. Prosecutors said Girley then picked up a gun from the victim's waistband and shot toward the shooters. 

Shotwell was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound. The complaint states video from the hospital showed Shotwell wearing the gray sweatshirt as the second shooter seen in the Washington Park drone video.

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In an interview with police, the complaint states Shotwell admitted to shooting the victim on the ground. He identified himself as the shooter in the drone video and said he shot the 17-year-old because the victim had a gun, but said the victim made no threat against him. He also said he'd never seen the victim before that day and called the shooting a "mistake." He later identified Glenn as the shirtless suspect seen with him in the drone video.

Authorities later searched a home near 49th and Congress in connection to the shooting. There, they found a gun and interviewed a resident. The resident said the gun belonged to Glenn, who left it there because he "did not want to get caught carrying a firearm." He also identified Glenn as the shirtless shooting suspect seen in the drone video. 

In court

Glenn is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the case. Two other teens were previously charged in the case.

Noah Shotwell, 15, was charged in June with first-degree reckless homicide. His cash bond set at $100,000 at his initial court appearance, and he is due back in court Aug. 22 for a preliminary hearing. 

Onterio Girley, 17, was charged in June with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, among other crimes. He pleaded not guilty in July and was bound over for trial. Court records indicate he remains jailed on $100,000 cash bond.

A mother responds

The mother of 17-year-old Thornton wished to not be identified, as she is concerned about her safety.

"I’m drained, I don’t sleep, can’t sleep," she said. "We heard everything, my son wasn’t even home at the time. But my son told me the bullets were for him. I told him he needed to tell someone but for his safety and our safety, he didn’t want to."

Thorton’s mother said she is being threatened.

"Kids walk past, I can’t put a picture of my son up because I feel like I am going to get attacked," she said. 

The violence leaves the families of Thornton and Zambrano with each other for support.

"He was so remorseful, he apologized," the mother said. "Every day, she hugs me and I hug her, we cry together."