"Wanted to scare them:" Man eventually admits to firing shots at vehicle at Walmart in Franklin after war of words

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- A Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection with a shots fired incident that happened Friday, March 3rd at the Walmart store in Franklin.

32-year-old Clarence Colvin of Milwaukee faces four charges: second degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon (two counts), one count of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon from a vehicle, at or towards a building, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to a criminal complaint, Franklin police on Friday, March 3rd responded to the Walmart store on S. 27th Street near W. Sycamore Street for a shooting incident. At the scene, they found a maroon Ford Taurus parked in the nearby PDQ gas station. The rear passenger side of the vehicle was resting on a jack, and a spare tire was out of the vehicle. Both rear passenger windows had been shattered and there were two bullet holes in the rear passenger door.

Investigators spoke with a man, who indicated he was with a woman and they came to Walmart in the Taurus. He said they were at their vehicle when a black Chevy Camaro parked in a handicapped parking spot next to them. Colvin was identified as the driver of the Camaro.

The man told investigators Colvin was honking the horn, and asked the man why he was looking at him. When the man asked Colvin what his problem was, the complaint says Colvin told him to be quiet, before Colvin "shot him," the complaint says. Words continued to be exchanged, and the complaint says Colvin pointed the gun at them.

The man and woman entered their vehicle and left the area near the Walmart. The complaint says Colvin followed in the Camaro, and tried to cut them off before the intersection with S. 27th Street on W. Sycamore.

 

The complaint says they spotted Colvin with the gun outside his window. The vehicles ended up side-by-side, and the man told investigators at this point, Colvin fired four times. The man said he noticed the rear windows were shot out on the Taurus. The Taurus fled onto S. 27th Street as the Camaro followed. The complaint says the man and woman in the Taurus spotted an Oak Creek police officer and told them what happened, just as they realized their tire was running flat.

Investigators took a look at surveillance video, which showed Colvin headed south on S. 27th Street, and shortly after turning onto an access road, the vehicle stopped -- and investigators believe he was disposing of the gun.

Colvin was interviewed by investigators, and the complaint says he indicated he was driving his Camaro and initially, there were three people inside. He said after he parked at the Walmart store, a man asked him what he was looking at, and "called him obscenities."

Colvin said he got into his Camaro and one of the other people who were initially inside was still inside. The third person had gone into the Walmart store. Colvin said "Marcus," who was in his vehicle, said "they should go see what (the man) was talking about." They ended up pulling up alongside the Taurus.

According to the complaint, Colvin told investigators at this point, a shot was fired at his Camaro. He said there was a bullet strike to the hood of his vehicle after this one shot was fired. Colvin said "Marcus" then shot back at the vehicle once from his backseat. Colvin said there were two total shots fired from his vehicle. Colvin said "Marcus" then exited the Camaro, taking the gun with him. When he was presented with a photo of the gun that was recovered, the complaint says Colvin indicated he didn't know whose gun that was, and he never touched that particular gun.

When informed that there was extensive surveillance video of this incident, the complaint says Colvin admitted he was the only person in his Camaro, and there was no "Marcus." When asked whether the gun that was recovered was the gun used in this incident, the complaint indicates Colvin said yes.

The complaint says Colvin told investigators words were exchanged between him and the man at Walmart, and he admitted to displaying a gun, but at first indicated he only showed it while it was on him. Colvin said the man used the "n word" as Colvin entered his Camaro, so he got in his car "to chase them down." He admitted to firing one shot at the Taurus, and later admitted he may have fired two rounds. He said he "just wanted to scare them" and "he was trying to hit the tire." He did say he was shot at as well, and said he didn't intend on hitting people or killing the man and woman.

According to the complaint, damage consistent with a bullet strike was found on the hood of Colvin's Camaro.

The criminal complaint notes that Colvin was convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in 2007.