In the early morning hours of August 19, 2023, the life of 17-year-old Andrea Sanders, an Asian female, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sanders was a passenger in a vehicle with friends near North 44th Street and West Hampton Avenue at approximately 5:30 a.m. when another car began to pursue them.
Gunshots erupted from the pursuing vehicle, a stolen Dodge Durango, striking both Sanders and another 17-year-old girl inside the car.
Despite the chaos and terror of the moment, the driver of the car carrying the two victims sped away, eventually stopping near 49th and Parkway to seek help. Tragically, Andrea Sanders succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second teenage girl who had been shot was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The incident left friends and family reeling, who remembered Sanders as a vibrant high school student with a significant presence on social media, known for her joyful and caring nature.
The subsequent investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department led to the arrest of a 16-year-old male, Mykel McKinney. According to the criminal complaint, McKinney admitted to his involvement in a carjacking of the Dodge Durango prior to the shooting and to driving the vehicle during the homicide. He alleged that someone in the victims' car had fired first, prompting him to give chase while a passenger in his vehicle fired at their car. The stolen Durango was later discovered burned.
McKinney was charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless injury, and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He was later convicted in connection with the death of Andrea Sanders and another homicide that occurred just days later. A court sentenced Mykel McKinney to a total of 36 years in prison for his role in the two killings, to be followed by 16 years of extended supervision.
