James Jordan III, a 39-year-old Black/African American man, was fatally shot after leaving work in Milwaukee on the night of September 12, 2025. Jordan had been working at a Domino’s restaurant and was walking home shortly after 11 p.m. when he reached the area of North Teutonia Avenue and West Good Hope Road. According to later reporting from his family, he was approaching a bus stop and was just short of crossing the street when he was shot.
Milwaukee police placed the shooting at approximately 11:20 p.m.
Jordan suffered gunshot wounds to the head. Emergency responders transported him to a hospital, where doctors attempted to save him, but his injuries proved fatal. Although the shooting occurred late on September 12, subsequent reporting from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office indicated that Jordan died at the hospital on September 13, several hours after he was wounded. The medical examiner later formally identified him as the victim.
The circumstances surrounding the attack were not immediately clear. Police did not publicly identify a motive or describe an argument or confrontation that preceded the gunfire. Investigators began searching for whoever was responsible, but the early investigation produced no publicly announced arrests. Authorities appealed to anyone who had witnessed the shooting or had information about what happened near Teutonia and Good Hope that night to contact Milwaukee police or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
In the weeks after the killing, Jordan’s family revealed more about the ordinary trip home that ended in violence. His mother, Carrie Reed-Jordan, was waiting for him to return to the family’s apartment near 29th Street and Highland Avenue. She watched for him at nearby bus stops, expecting him to arrive home after work, but he never made it back. Jordan was only a little more than a week away from his next birthday when he was killed.
Relatives remembered Jordan as a father, uncle and friend who was devoted to his family and willing to help people around him. His family said he loved music and had been thinking about returning to school. His sister, LeKesha Reed, recalled that he regularly helped neighbors with everyday tasks and had assisted people affected by a deadly apartment fire near 27th Street and Highland Avenue. Family members also said Jordan was working to help support his children and relatives and had no criminal background.
As time passed without an arrest, Jordan’s family publicly appealed for answers. More than a month after the shooting, no one was reported to be in custody, and relatives said they still did not know who had targeted him or why. His sister urged the person responsible to come forward, while his mother vowed that the family would continue seeking justice. A memorial of photographs, flowers and messages was established in his honor as relatives tried to keep attention focused on the unsolved killing.
Publicly available reporting located for the case does not identify a named suspect, an arrest, criminal charges, a trial or a conviction in connection with Jordan’s death. The most recent case-specific reporting found continued to describe the homicide as unsolved and the search for the person or people responsible as ongoing. Anyone with information about the shooting has been asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360 or provide an anonymous tip through Milwaukee Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or the P3 Tips service.
