Milwaukee, WI — Three people have been charged in connection to a violent “wild-west-style” shootout that killed two people and wounded three others in a strip mall parking lot in June. Investigators recovered more than 100 bullet casings from the scene, highlighting the intensity of the gunfire.
Charges Filed in Court
According to court records, 17-year-old Earl Williams III faces charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, felony murder, and possession of a machine gun. Two others, 18-year-old Jardan Anderson and 17-year-old Isiah Daniels, are charged with aiding a felon.
Williams and Anderson are scheduled to appear in court on September 8, while the date for Daniels’ appearance remains unclear. Prosecutors outlined the charges after weeks of piecing together forensic evidence and witness accounts.
Shooting at 82nd and Brown Deer
Police were called to the shooting around 11 p.m. on June 20, in the parking lot of a strip mall near 82nd Street and Brown Deer Road. Investigators later learned the strip mall included a venue rented for a teen party that night.
When officers arrived, they found 19-year-old Bre’nee Veasley suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen. She later died, with an autopsy confirming she had been shot in the back.
A second victim, 17-year-old Kingston Liphford, also died at the scene. He was discovered with a gun still in his hand. Three other people — ages 17, 15, and 14 — were wounded. Stray bullets also shattered windows and struck nearby stores, adding to the chaos.
Forensic Evidence Points to Mass Gunfire
Detectives recovered 110 bullet casings at the scene, fired from 11 different guns. According to a criminal complaint, the casings were found in three distinct clusters across the parking lot, reflecting what investigators described as a “wild-west-style” exchange of gunfire.
- Cluster 1: 18 casings from two guns, located near the venue entrance.
- Cluster 2: 34 casings northeast of the entrance from two guns.
- Cluster 3: 58 casings from seven guns, spread throughout the parking lot.
Both Veasley and Liphford were found near Cluster 3, where the majority of gunfire erupted. Court filings noted one of the weapons used was a “ghost gun” with no serial number, and others had illegal “switches” allowing them to fire as fully automatic weapons.
Prosecutors told FOX6 News that surveillance footage revealed the shooters in Cluster 3 fired first, while those in Cluster 2 appeared to return fire.
“The cadence of the shots, including the first audible gunfire, indicated some of the guns were being fired as fully automatic firearms,” the complaint stated.
Witness Testimony and Arrests
Witnesses recalled seeing a masked shooter open fire in the parking lot. Daniels later admitted to arriving at the party with Williams, Anderson, Liphford, and others. He said Williams carried a Glock with a switch, making it a fully automatic machine gun.
“I heard someone tell someone else not to shoot before the first round of gunshots came,” Daniels told investigators.
Anderson also confirmed to police that Williams was the only one in their group armed with a gun modified to fire automatically. After the shooting, the group allegedly attempted to dispose of weapons and even spray-painted Anderson’s car blue to avoid detection.
On July 7, officers investigating a separate incident tracked down the suspect’s car. Williams was caught after fleeing, and a Glock with a switch was recovered. Forensic testing linked the gun to 13 shell casings found in Cluster 3, further tying Williams to the fatal shootout.
Community Shock and Legal Next Steps
The violent outburst has rattled Milwaukee residents, who say the scale of the gunfire was unlike anything they had seen. Prosecutors emphasized that the rapid firing of multiple weapons underscores the growing danger of illegal switches and ghost guns in community shootings.
Williams, Anderson, and Daniels remain in custody as the case moves forward. Prosecutors say the evidence is strong and highlights the deadly consequences of high-powered firearms in public spaces.
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