On a cold winter night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of a 35-year-old Black/African American woman named Annie Sandifer was tragically cut short. On February 1, 2020, the mother of five, who was pregnant with her sixth child, was enjoying a night out on a party bus with friends. The bus was parked outside Gene's Supper Club around 2:30 a.m. when suddenly, a series of gunshots rang out from a passing car. A stray bullet from the drive-by shooting pierced the bus and struck Annie.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital, but tragically, she did not survive her injuries.
In a miraculous turn of events, doctors were able to perform an emergency C-section and deliver her baby boy. Born prematurely at just 26 weeks, the infant survived the ordeal and was reported to be in stable condition, a small beacon of hope in the midst of a devastating loss. Family members remembered Annie as a loving and dedicated mother who always went out of her way for her children. They believed the bullets were not intended for her, but for someone inside the supper club. The Milwaukee Police Department began an investigation, seeking suspects in what they described as a silver four-door sedan from which five or six rounds were fired from the sunroof.
The investigation led police to a suspect named Antion Haywood. Investigators were able to link him to the scene as his ID had been scanned at the club earlier that night. A witness later identified Haywood as the gunman, stating that he appeared to be intoxicated when he got into his car and fired shots out of the sunroof. Haywood was arrested and his car, which matched the description of the vehicle at the scene, was confiscated. He was subsequently charged with first-degree reckless homicide.
The case went to trial, and in April 2021, a jury found Antion Haywood not guilty of the charge against him. Following his acquittal, no further arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the shooting. The death of Annie Sandifer remains a painful memory for her family and community, a stark reminder of the senseless violence that took a mother from her children.
