On the evening of September 19, 2019, a tragic and senseless act of violence claimed the life of Jasmine N. Banks, a 23-year-old Black / African American woman from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Banks was driving with her twin sister and two young children when she was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight at the intersection of North 5th and West Center streets. A stray bullet struck her in the head, and she died at the scene.
Her twin sister, who was in the passenger seat, watched in horror as her sister's head slumped down. She managed to steer the car to a stop on the sidewalk.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that the gunfight erupted from an argument between two groups of men. Surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store captured the chaotic scene as men fired at each other from opposite sides of the street. Tragically, Jasmine Banks was simply passing through the intersection at that fateful moment. The bullet that killed her was determined to have been fired from the east side of the street in a westerly direction.
Three men were ultimately arrested and charged in connection with the death of Jasmine Banks. Romance Gunn and Brian Clark were involved in the initial confrontation. Pierre Roberson was identified as having fired the fatal shot. Gunn and Roberson had arrived in a tan SUV and confronted Clark, who was on the west side of the street. The argument escalated, and gunfire was exchanged. Roberson was charged with first-degree reckless homicide, and Gunn also faced a homicide charge in addition to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clark was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Pierre Roberson was convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and sentenced to ten years in prison. Romance Gunn was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the shootout that led to the death of the young mother. Brian Clark pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to three years in prison. The tragic death of Jasmine Banks left her family, including her infant son, devastated and highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence on innocent lives within the community.
