On a cold December evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 23-year-old Benitaz Pinkin, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On December 18, 2022, Pinkin and another man, 26-year-old Kentrell Malone, were sitting in a vehicle near the intersection of Appleton Avenue and Congress Street. The night was shattered by the sound of gunfire when an SUV pulled alongside their car and an occupant opened fire.
The force of the attack sent Pinkin and Malone’s vehicle
crashing into a fence and a tree at the nearby Craig Montessori School. When first responders arrived at the scene, both Benitaz Pinkin and Kentrell Malone were pronounced dead. The shooting, which happened around 7:43 p.m., sent shockwaves through the local community. Stray bullets from the incident even struck a local business, "Art It Up Airbrushing," shattering the glass above the front door. The owner of a nearby auto dealership, "Discount Auto Sales," provided surveillance footage to the police that had captured the fatal encounter.
In the wake of the shooting, the Milwaukee Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Despite having surveillance footage of the incident, authorities have not yet publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the deaths of Benitaz Pinkin and Kentrell Malone. The police have urged anyone with information to come forward and have encouraged anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers to aid in their ongoing investigation. The circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear, leaving a grieving community and family searching for answers.
