Marris Virgil, a 37-year-old Black man, was fatally shot on the evening of September 4, 2026, inside a home on Milwaukee's north side. Milwaukee police were called to the 1200 block of West Keefe Avenue, near North 12th Street, at about 6:30 p.m. for a report of a shooting. When the first officer reached the residence at 1213 W. Keefe Avenue, two young boys and a teenage girl were reportedly outside on the front porch screaming. The officer went inside and found Virgil on the floor of a second-floor bedroom suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but Virgil died at the scene.
An autopsy later determined that Virgil had been shot four times. Investigators reported gunshot wounds to his left arm, the left side of his chest, and twice in his back. Detectives examining the house recovered spent 9mm cartridge casings, including two near Virgil's body and another on the stairway leading toward the first floor. What initially appeared publicly as a shooting with a known suspect soon developed into a case in which investigators said an argument over a PlayStation had escalated into deadly violence.
According to the criminal complaint, Virgil and his longtime romantic partner arrived at the home after learning that their 10- and 11-year-old sons were playing PlayStation with their cousin, 21-year-old Darrius S. Shelton. A disagreement arose over who actually owned the game console. One witness told investigators that Virgil and his partner had originally purchased the PlayStation, but after it stopped working properly, Shelton had paid to have it repaired. That apparently led Shelton to claim an ownership interest in it. Virgil's partner reportedly tried to resolve the disagreement by offering Shelton $260 for the console, but authorities say Shelton declined the offer.
The argument continued and became increasingly confrontational. Virgil's partner told investigators that the two men eventually stood chest-to-chest in what she described as an aggressive posture. She said she turned away from them briefly and then heard several gunshots. When she looked back, she reportedly saw Shelton holding a firearm. According to the complaint, Shelton then pointed the gun at her and threatened to shoot her before fleeing the residence. Investigators subsequently identified Shelton as the person accused of shooting Virgil.
In the days after Virgil's death, his relatives described him as deeply devoted to his family and especially to his three children. Family members said he enjoyed taking his children, nieces, and nephews to activities such as basketball camp, parks, and outings for ice cream. Relatives also said Virgil had recently begun a new job and had been working to make positive changes in his life. His family publicly appealed for whoever was responsible for his killing to be held accountable.
On September 17, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging Darrius S. Shelton with first-degree reckless homicide in connection with Virgil's death. An arrest warrant was issued after Shelton was not located and taken into custody. Milwaukee police publicly sought information concerning his whereabouts, and reports published as recently as September 22 indicated that he remained wanted and had not yet been arrested. Because Shelton remained at large in the latest available reporting, the case had not proceeded to trial and there had been no conviction in Virgil's killing. The criminal charge remains an allegation unless and until it is proven in court.
