On May 18, 2021, a young Black/African American man named Elijah Johnson, aged 22, was fatally shot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The incident that led to his death unfolded inside an apartment building near 29th and Wisconsin, stemming from what police believe was an argument. Just after 12:15 p.m., a dispute escalated into a violent confrontation that would ultimately claim Johnson's life.
Surveillance footage from within the building captured the tragic moments of the event.
According to reports, the video shows a woman, later identified as 21-year-old Tequila Collins, shooting at Johnson from the top of a stairwell. Johnson was struck in the back as he stood at the bottom of the stairs. After the shooting, Collins fled the scene, leaving Johnson wounded. Citizens who were outside the building came to his aid before emergency services arrived. He was rushed to a local hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries less than an hour later. An autopsy confirmed that a single gunshot wound to his lower back was the cause of death.
The investigation into the homicide quickly pointed towards Collins as the primary suspect. The apartment manager was able to identify her, and when law enforcement located her, she admitted to the shooting. Initially, she claimed the gun was supposed to be on "safe" and that it "went off" by accident. However, she later stated that she fired the weapon to "scare him," aiming at a glass window near him. As a result of the investigation, Tequila Collins was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless homicide, domestic abuse, with the use of a dangerous weapon.
Further investigation into Collins's activities revealed that she was allegedly involved in another shooting incident just a day prior, on May 17, near 18th and Vienna. Police had responded to a shot spotter call in that area and discovered a 9mm shell casing, the same caliber as the one found at the scene of Johnson's death. While there was no victim located in the earlier incident, witnesses placed Collins at that scene as well. She initially denied her involvement, claiming she only fired her gun into the air. This led to an additional charge against her for second-degree recklessly endangering safety with the use of a dangerous weapon. If convicted of all charges, she faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.
