In the late evening of September 9, 2024, a tragedy unfolded in a Milwaukee neighborhood that claimed the life of 39-year-old Hispanic female, Natalie Ramos-Rodriguez. The incident occurred at approximately 10:40 p.m. near 24th and Pierce Streets, just south of Mitchell Park. First responders arrived at the scene to find Ramos-Rodriguez with a critical gunshot wound.
Despite lifesaving measures being administered, her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:50 p.m.
The immediate investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department led to the swift arrest of a 29-year-old suspect. The individual taken into custody was identified as Jayson Rivera-Montalvo, who was the boyfriend of Ramos-Rodriguez. The shooting took place in a bedroom where authorities later found Ramos-Rodriguez with a gunshot wound to her head and a gun next to her on the bed. There were other people present in the house at the time of the incident, including a 20-year-old man and two 15-year-old girls.
Following his arrest, Jayson Rivera-Montalvo was charged with second-degree reckless homicide and use of a dangerous weapon. In his statement to detectives, Rivera-Montalvo claimed the shooting was an accident. He alleged that while he was making the bed and shaking the blankets, a gun fell to the floor and discharged, striking Ramos-Rodriguez. He stated that he panicked and fled the house after realizing she had been shot. One witness reported hearing a "loud bang" followed by Rivera-Montalvo exclaiming, "it was an accident," before seeing him run from the house with a pale face.
However, the physical evidence at the scene appeared to contradict Rivera-Montalvo's account. Investigators noted that the gun found next to the victim did not have a round in the chamber or a magazine inserted. A magazine was later discovered near the bedroom door, and a single spent casing was found on a dresser. A preliminary forensic examination indicated that the casing was fired from the gun found at the scene. Detectives found it "improbable" that the gun would have fired in the manner described by Rivera-Montalvo. Their investigation led them to conclude that it was more likely that Rivera-Montalvo had removed the magazine, believing the chamber was empty, before pulling the trigger with the weapon pointed at Ramos-Rodriguez's head. Witnesses also informed police that Rivera-Montalvo had recently purchased the gun off the street and had been handling it irresponsibly in the days leading up to the shooting. Natalie Ramos-Rodriguez is survived by four children.
