In the early morning hours of December 22, 2015, Kashin N. Strickland, a 28-year-old African-American man, became the victim of a fatal shooting on Milwaukee's northwest side. Shortly after 2:30 a.m., gunfire erupted near the intersection of North 95th Street and West Sheridan Avenue, in the 9300 block of West Sheridan. Milwaukee police responded to reports of a shooting and discovered that Strickland had been wounded. The circumstances surrounding the violence were not immediately clear, leaving investigators with unanswered questions about what had happened and who was responsible.
The shooting scene also involved a vehicle accident that complicated the initial investigation. A minivan had crashed into a pole outside an apartment complex near the intersection. Early news reports described the collision but could not establish whether the driver was the person who had been shot or how the accident was connected to the gunfire. Authorities did not publicly explain whether the shooting preceded the crash, whether anyone had been pursuing the vehicle, or whether the two incidents were directly related.
Strickland was transported to Froedtert Hospital for medical treatment. Initial reports suggested that his gunshot injuries were not life-threatening, offering some hope that he might survive. However, his condition proved more serious than initially understood. Despite receiving hospital treatment, Strickland died shortly after 10:00 a.m. that same morning, approximately seven and a half hours after the shooting was reported. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday, December 23, to further examine the circumstances of his death.
Following Strickland's death, the Milwaukee Police Department continued investigating the shooting as a homicide. Detectives were attempting to establish a motive and identify the individual or individuals responsible. Authorities had not publicly determined what led to the confrontation, whether Strickland had been specifically targeted, or whether the shooting resulted from an argument or another encounter. Police also had not released a description of a suspect or identified anyone believed to have participated in the violence.
At the time of the initial investigation, no arrests had been announced. Available public reporting does not establish that a suspect was subsequently identified, arrested, or formally charged in connection with Strickland's killing. No verified court proceedings, criminal trials, or convictions directly associated with his death could be located. His name continues to appear in publicly accessible cold-case listings associated with the Milwaukee Police Department, suggesting that the homicide remains unresolved in those records.
Strickland's death came just days before Christmas, bringing a tragic end to his life and leaving significant questions surrounding the events of December 22, 2015. Although the location, approximate time, and fatal outcome of the shooting were documented, the circumstances leading to the gunfire remained largely unexplained in public accounts. Without a publicly identified perpetrator or confirmed prosecution, the central question of who killed Kashin Strickland, and why, remains unanswered.
