On August 20, 2011, James Currin, a 26-year-old male from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was fatally shot. The Milwaukee Police Department was dispatched to the area of N. 27th St. and North Avenue, where they found Currin deceased at the scene.
The incident occurred in the context of a violent altercation. According to witnesses, there were multiple parties and fights in the vicinity.
A key witness, identified as Smith-Currin, who lived in the upper unit of a duplex, described the events leading to the shooting. He saw women fighting in front of the duplex and men getting involved, including an individual named Williams who tried to break up the fight but was prevented by another man. Smith-Currin identified the shooter as Jerry Simone Wilson, who emerged from an open space between two houses and began shooting at Williams and another individual, R.T..
Smith-Currin detailed that Wilson shot Williams three times, causing him to fall, and then shot at R.T. from a close distance. After the shooting, Wilson ran back through the open space between the houses. The witnesses described a chaotic scene with multiple fights breaking out and people screaming. Williams was eventually placed into a dark-colored sports utility vehicle and taken to the hospital.
The case led to the trial of Jerry Simone Wilson, who was charged with first-degree reckless homicide with use of a dangerous weapon and two counts of recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon. Despite Wilson's defense that the witnesses misidentified him, the prosecution's evidence, including Smith-Currin's testimony, supported the conviction. Wilson was ultimately found guilty and sentenced accordingly.
