On a summer evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 32-year-old Marquelle L. Miller, a Black male, was sitting on a porch with another man in the 3600 block of N. 3rd St. on July 2, 2016. It was around 6 p.m. when the peaceful scene was shattered by a violent encounter that would end Miller's life. He was a father and was remembered for his love of cars, music, movies, and sports.
A man, later identified as 41-year-old Donnell Weaver of Milwaukee, approached Miller and asked to speak with him.
Weaver questioned Miller about something that had happened a few days prior, a question to which Miller reportedly responded he didn't know what Weaver was talking about. The conversation quickly escalated when Weaver produced a large, silver handgun. He attempted to strike Miller in the head with the weapon, but lost his grip, and the gun fell to the ground.
As Miller and the 22-year-old man he was with tried to flee, Weaver picked up the firearm and opened fire. Miller was fatally wounded in the shooting and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The other man was shot in the wrist and survived. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, no suspects were publicly identified.
The investigation into Marquelle Miller's death progressed as the surviving victim was able to identify Donnell Weaver from a photo array. Following his arrest, Weaver claimed that Miller and the other man had been verbally threatening him. He admitted to discarding the handgun in a sewer after leaving the scene. Weaver was subsequently charged in connection with the fatal shooting. In January, he pleaded guilty to amended charges of second-degree reckless homicide, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and possession of a firearm by a felon. On February 24, 2017, a Milwaukee County judge sentenced Donnell Weaver to 19 years in prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision for his role in the death of Marquelle Miller.
