On a summer morning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 19-year-old Ramsey Wheeler was cut short. On June 28, 2017, Wheeler, a male, was fatally shot in a robbery-related incident on the city's northwest side. The shooting occurred around 9:00 a.m. near the intersection of N. 94th Street and W. Silver Spring Drive.
According to the account provided by his brother who was with him, the two had gone to the area with the intention of buying marijuana.
They were in their SUV when two men, later identified as 21-year-old Theodore Reese and 34-year-old Jeffrey Ward, approached their vehicle. Wheeler's brother told authorities that he saw Reese point a black semi-automatic handgun at them, moving it back and forth between the two brothers. Reacting to the threat, he quickly accelerated to drive away.
As they fled the scene, multiple gunshots were fired at their vehicle. Wheeler was struck in the face by the gunfire. His brother, who was also a victim in the double shooting but survived his injuries, immediately drove him to a nearby hospital. Despite the swift medical attention, Ramsey Wheeler succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The investigation that followed led to the arrest of Reese and Ward.
Authorities filed multiple criminal charges against both men in connection with Wheeler's death. The criminal complaint detailed that Ward admitted to firing his gun approximately six times during the incident, with an estimated total of eight to ten shots fired between both suspects. At the time of the shooting, Reese was out on bail for a separate armed robbery charge, a condition of which was that he was not to commit any new crimes. Ward also had a criminal history, with prior convictions for armed robbery. Both men were held on a $100,000 cash bond.
