In the late hours of a summer evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 15, 2018, the lives of two brothers were tragically cut short. Antonio Singleton, a 39-year-old Black male, and his younger brother, Justin Singleton, were spending time together on the back porch of a home in the neighborhood of 6th and Center streets. Their socializing was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a silver Chevrolet Impala.
A man emerged from the vehicle and approached the two brothers.
An argument broke out, escalating quickly and shattering the calm of the night with the sound of five to six gunshots. When the chaos subsided, both Antonio and his brother were left lying wounded on the grass. Police and paramedics were dispatched to the scene, where they found Justin Singleton had already succumbed to his injuries. Antonio was still struggling to breathe and was rushed to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Antonio Singleton died from multiple gunshot wounds to his neck, arm, and leg.
The family was left reeling from the sudden and senseless loss of two of their own, describing the brothers as good young men who were striving to be a positive force in their community. The grief of their relatives was compounded by the violent nature of their deaths, which left little opportunity for final goodbyes.
In the days that followed the double homicide, the Milwaukee Police Department investigated the crime. Their efforts led to the arrest of a suspect, Donnell Allen, from the 3700 block of North 37th Street in Milwaukee. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the deaths of Antonio and Justin Singleton. Witnesses at the scene were able to provide accounts that assisted law enforcement in identifying Allen as the individual who approached the brothers before the fatal shots were fired. Police recovered seven. 40-caliber shell casings from the area where the Singleton brothers were found.
