In the evening hours of May 23, 2019, a dispute outside a Milwaukee tavern culminated in the shooting death of 42-year-old LZ Jolly, a Black male. The incident occurred near North 25th Street and West Hopkins Avenue, outside of Warren's Lounge. Friends of Jolly stated that he was attempting to break up a fight when the situation escalated. The entire event was captured by a nearby security camera, which proved to be a critical piece of evidence in the subsequent investigation.
The video
footage showed Rodney Robbins, a man who had known Jolly for three decades, arriving at the tavern. According to the criminal complaint, three children were visible in the back seat of his vehicle. A confrontation ensued between Robbins and Jolly, with the video depicting Jolly leaning forward in an aggressive manner and at times putting his hands on or pushing Robbins. At a certain point, Robbins is seen pulling an object from his waistband, which prompted Jolly and two others to raise their hands. As Jolly turned away, Robbins shot him once, causing him to fall. Robbins then stood over Jolly and fired multiple additional shots. Following the shooting, Robbins got back into his car and fled the scene.
Authorities were dispatched to the tavern where they found Jolly with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered several. 40 caliber fired casings near his body. A person of interest was taken into custody shortly after the incident. This individual was later identified as 42-year-old Rodney Robbins. Upon his arrest, Robbins admitted to being the shooter. He told police that he had been at the Deer District watching a basketball game and had stopped at Warren's Lounge to buy a pint of beer on his way home when he encountered Jolly. He claimed he felt he needed to protect his family and admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm. After the shooting, Robbins burned his clothes, disposed of the gun, and shaved off his dreadlocks to alter his appearance.
Rodney Robbins was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. During the court proceedings, his competency was called into question, leading to a court-ordered examination. Ultimately, a jury found Robbins guilty of both charges. In August 2022, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of LZ Jolly. He received an additional five years in prison and five years of extended supervision for the firearm conviction.
