'I had a gun, I shot the gun': 2 teens arrested in deadly Washington Park Juneteenth shooting
Two Milwaukee teens are facing felony charges stemming from a pair of shootings at a Juneteenth Peace Day event in Washington Park that left one dead.
Noah M. Shotwell, 15, was charged with first-degree reckless homicide as a party to a crime in the shooting death of Sherrone D. Thornton, 17, of Milwaukee.
Onterio Girley, 17, faces multiple charges, including first-degree reckless endangering safety, for firing shots that injured Shotwell, according to authorities.
A drone operated by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office proved crucial in helping collect evidence that helped investigators both identify the suspects and piece together how the June 19 shooting unfolded.
A criminal complaint, released Tuesday, described a scene of bedlam that erupted at the west side Milwaukee park, where T4TC – Juneteenth Peace Day MKE had just taken place.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said the shooting took place at about 8:53 p.m. in a corner of the park, at 1859 N. 40th St.
As many as 50 young people were involved in a fight near the playground just moments before the shooting, the complaint said.
Thornton was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital, but died from his injuries.
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A sheriff’s office drone was used to monitor the scene. It spotted a male – later identified as Girley – firing a fully automatic pistol into a crowded area and then running from the park.
Girley was arrested and a firearm was recovered.
Authorities believe the weapon belonged to Thornton; according to the complaint, the drone captured footage of Girley removing a gun from Thornton's fallen body and firing at the people he believed shot Thornton.
Investigators say Girley is not considered a suspect in Thornton's death.
Shotwell was interviewed by a sheriff's office detective at Children's Wisconsin hospital the next day.
Shotwell admitted being at Washington Park at the time of the shooting and admitted to having a gun there, the complaint says. He also confessed to shooting at Thornton while the victim was on the ground.
"I had a gun, I shot the gun,” Shotwell is quoted as saying in the criminal complaint.
He ran from the scene and realized later he also had been shot. Shotwell told investigators he removed the gun from his pants and placed it on the center console of his car.
Other people drove him to Children’s Hospital, the complaint said.
In a second interview, investigators showed Shotwell the drone video, and he admitted he shot Thornton; he said did so because Thornton also was armed, even though he made no direct threat against him, according to the complaint.
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When an investigator pointed out Thornton was on the ground before he was shot, Shotwell said the shooting was a “mistake," the complaint said.
Girley also was charged with possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, selling/possessing/using/transporting a machine gun and felony bail jumping. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 3 before Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey.
Girley was out on bond in a separate case from May 23 in which he was charged with possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, online court records show. He posted a $750 bond in that matter was released from jail on May 30.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 2 teens arrested in deadly Juneteenth shooting at Washington Park
