On a summer evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 19, 2022, Ronald "Hollywood" Butler Jr., a 50-year-old Black male, was driving with four of his children. They were on their way to a nephew's first birthday party, with the simple intention of picking up party favors. Their path was tragically interrupted near 89th Street and Mill Road when another driver's reckless behavior set off a fatal chain of events.
According to his family and accounts from his children in the vehicle, Butler,
concerned for the safety of his kids, shouted at a speeding driver to slow down. In response to this plea, a gunshot rang out. Butler was struck in the head, his van veering out of control and crashing. His children, ranging in age from two to ten, witnessed the horrific event. Bystanders rushed to help, pulling the children from the vehicle as their father lay dying.
The investigation into the shooting, which police initially described as a road rage incident, continued for eight months. During this time, Butler's family publicly pleaded for answers and for the person responsible to come forward. Their quest for justice led to the arrest of Demetreon Caston-Townsend. Prosecutors detailed that Caston-Townsend, after nearly colliding with Butler's van, was the one who fired the fatal shot. A witness testified that after the shooting, Caston-Townsend disposed of the shell casing in a sewer and burned his clothes in an attempt to destroy evidence.
In April 2024, Demetreon Caston-Townsend was sentenced to 19 years in prison, with an additional 10 years of extended supervision. He had pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree reckless homicide. During the sentencing, Butler's family expressed their profound grief and dissatisfaction with the length of the sentence, feeling it was not enough for the life that was taken. Despite an apology in court, Caston-Townsend denied being the one who pulled the trigger, a statement the family found deeply distressing, prolonging their pain in the face of their irreversible loss.
