"We are going to miss him:" 39-year-old father of two, grandfather gunned down outside his home

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A father of two, and a grandfather -- gunned down outside his home on Auer Street on Saturday night, September 27th. His loved ones tell FOX6 News they're in disbelief, as police begin their investigation into this homicide.

It happened around 10:45 p.m. near 1st and Auer. The 39-year-old Milwaukee man was pronounced dead at the scene following what police are calling a drive-by shooting.

"It`s just a sad situation," the man's cousin, Gwendolyn Smith said.

On Sunday, candles were placed in the spot where 39-year-old William Green took his last breaths.

"Death is hard anyway, but for it to come the way it did, it`s just terrible. Guys with guns popped up and just starting shooting," Smith said.

Smith says Green was playing cards outside his garage prior to the shooting. She says she raced to the scene after getting the call.

"If he was still alive we wanted him at least to see a family member's face as he was going on home to glory. They wouldn`t let us do that. I understand they were doing their job and protecting the crime scene," Smith said.

Rescue crews tried to save Green's life, but they were unsuccessful.

"He was a good person that got taken from us too soon," Smith said.

As police look into why this happened -- and search for the person(s) responsible, Green's loved ones are hoping for a quick arrest as they mourn Green's death.

"He was a good guy. He had two kids and just became a grandfather. He was about this family. He wasn't no pistol-slinging guy or nothing. No drug dealer -- none of that. We are going to miss him, and we love him," Smith said.

Police say the circumstances surrounding this incident are still unclear, and officers and detectives are still in the early stages of their investigation.



Monitor FOX6News and FOX6Now.com for more details on this developing story.