In the late afternoon of a Tuesday in January, a burst of violence shattered the mundane atmosphere of a bustling shopping center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. On January 23, 2024, Anton Lemarr Space, a 46-year-old Black/African American man from the nearby city of Kenosha, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Shoppes at Prairie Ridge. The incident unfolded just after 4 p.m. near the Dollar Tree, in an area west of Target.
Emergency services were called to the scene on 77th Street, and Space was rushed to the nearby Froedtert South hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting were initially unclear, leaving a community in shock and a family devastated. Anton Lemarr Space was a husband and a father to four children. As investigators began to piece together the events that led to his untimely death, they appealed to the public for any information that could help shed light on the motive and identify those responsible. The Pleasant Prairie Police Department, with assistance from the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, processed the scene for evidence and began speaking with witnesses who were in the vicinity of the busy shopping complex at the time of the shooting.
The investigation swiftly led to the identification of two suspects. A few days after the fatal shooting, the Pleasant Prairie Police Department announced that they had arrested 29-year-old Marchello D. Jones and 27-year-old Maria D. Jones. The two, who resided in Milwaukee but were known to have connections to Kenosha, were taken into custody. Authorities located and seized their vehicle, which was believed to be connected to the crime. Both Marchello and Maria Jones were being held at the Kenosha County Jail as the investigation continued and charges were prepared. The connection between the suspects and Anton Lemarr Space was not immediately made public, leaving the community to grapple with the senseless loss of a member of their community.
