A tragic story unfolded on the evening of October 10, 2022, in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin neighborhood, forever changing the lives of one family. Twelve-year-old Olivia Schultz, a young girl with a bright smile, was senselessly killed in a place that should have been safe, the alley behind her own home. She was a female who was simply helping her mother, Celeste Wilson, unload groceries from their car near 37th and Rohr when the unthinkable happened.
In the moments leading up to the tragedy, two masked teenagers approached Olivia and her mother. After a brief exchange of words, the teens started to walk away. Wilson had pleaded with them, sensing the danger, but her words were not enough. From a distance of about four houses down, one of the teenagers turned and opened fire on the unsuspecting mother and daughter. Wilson was struck in the back, but she would survive her injuries. Olivia, however, was fatally wounded and later died at the hospital, becoming another innocent victim of gun violence. Remembered as a sweet girl who loved to cook and make TikTok videos, Olivia was the youngest of six children.
The investigation into Olivia's death led Milwaukee police to two teenage suspects. Seventeen-year-old Benjamin Garrett and sixteen-year-old Cornell Henard were arrested and charged as adults in connection with the shooting. Family members were able to identify Garrett as one of the individuals in the alley that evening. In a court hearing, it was revealed that Henard had told police that both he and Garrett had fired shots, but that Garrett had shot first.
Ultimately, Benjamin Garrett pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree reckless endangerment. In June 2023, a judge sentenced him to 22 years in prison for his role in the death of Olivia Schultz. The second suspect, Cornell Henard, was also facing charges of first-degree reckless homicide. Both teenagers were held on $100,000 cash bail. The senseless act of violence that cut short a young girl's life and wounded her mother left a community in mourning and a family forever broken.
