Ear Hustle

Suspect ID’d in double homicide after crash that killed tot

milwaukee police chief

Investigators have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of a driver and a teen boy after a toddler was hit and killed Sunday, Milwaukee police said.

Police have not named the suspect publicly but said Tuesday they are working to find the person.

The gunman opened fire Sunday evening after the toddler, 2-year-old Damani Terry, ran into the street in the 4600 block of N. 48 St. and was hit and killed by a van driven by Archie Brown Jr., 40.

The subsequent gunfire killed Brown and wounded the toddler’s brother, 15-year-old Rasheed T. Chiles, who died later at a hospital.

The boys had been attending a party at a nearby house.

“What did we have Sunday?” Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said, addressing reporters after a news conference announcing a neighborhood initiative on the city’s near west side.

“We had some clown take the law into his own hands and murder a guy who was doing what we expect good citizens to do and, oops, accidentally killed somebody else,” Flynn said.

“Now we’re after that guy, we know who he is and if we need to share information we will,” Flynn said. “We’re going to clear up that homicide, but … the leading cause of homicidal violence with guns in this city is arguments and fights.”

The chief also referenced a shooting Monday night that killed a 17-year-old girl and wounded two men. The shooting came after a dispute among girls who called their boyfriends, who arrived at the area and began shooting. The girl who was killed was not involved in the dispute, Flynn said.

In the Sunday shootings, Brown had been driving the van about 5:10 p.m. near Wahl Park, when he hit 2-year-old Damani, who had darted into the road, according to Milwaukee police.

Brown immediately jumped out and — by all accounts — was grieving and upset as he stood over the body. Damani’s brother, Chiles, was at the scene as well when the gunman opened fire. The suspect is a 27-year-old Milwaukee man who has a prior criminal record.

Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. Chiles died in surgery Sunday night.
Brown’s father, Archie Brown Sr., 68, of Milwaukee, was at the scene after the crash Sunday evening. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his son was shot in the head. Brown said his son was the father of four daughters, including one who is 6 months old. Funeral arrangements are pending and a vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday at N. 48th St. and W. Glendale Ave.

Mayor Tom Barrett has described the double shooting as a “horrific event” that underscores challenges in the city.

The shooter “could not control himself and you had two additional homicides as a result of his inability to control his behavior,” Barrett said Tuesday. “Now you take that and you couple it with easy access to guns, and that is a toxic recipe.”

He also repeated his calls for tougher sanctions for gun crimes.

Source: Journal Sentinel

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most Popular

To Top