In the early morning hours of June 28, 2016, a life was tragically cut short in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Alac Lamar Jackson, a 49-year-old African American man, was fatally shot in an apartment near 28th and Capitol Drive. The incident, which occurred around 2:15 a.m., would soon be described by the alleged perpetrator as a terrible accident.
When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Jackson unresponsive in a chair, having sustained a gunshot wound to his head.
Despite the efforts of officers and Milwaukee Fire Department personnel, he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner would later rule his death a homicide, noting that the nature of the wound indicated the muzzle of the gun was in direct contact with Jackson's skin when it was fired. A 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered from the floor of the apartment.
The man responsible for the shooting was identified as 37-year-old Oliver Kennedy, who was reportedly Jackson's cousin. According to the criminal complaint, when police arrived, Kennedy was visibly distraught, crying, and on his cell phone. A witness to the event told investigators that immediately after the shot was fired, Kennedy exclaimed, "I just killed my cousin on accident," and then dropped the gun. Another friend of both men informed police that Kennedy had called him, admitting that he and Jackson had been drinking and "playing with a gun" when he accidentally shot him.
Kennedy was subsequently arrested and charged with homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. He told investigators that he and Jackson were wrestling while he was holding the gun, which then discharged, striking Jackson. During his initial court appearance on July 3, 2016, probable cause was found to move forward with the case, and his cash bond was set at $5,000.
