On the evening of January 21, 2016, a tragic chain of events unfolded in Milwaukee that would end the life of a 24-year-old Black / African American man named Rickole D.L. Rogers. The incident began under the guise of a marijuana deal, orchestrated by a group of individuals with the intent to commit robbery. A friend of Rogers, who acted as a middleman for drug sales, was first contacted by the suspects. Three men arrived in a blue car with dark tinted windows to meet him on N. 68th St.
After the friend entered their vehicle, the situation quickly escalated. The men in the car grew impatient waiting for Rogers and, brandishing firearms, robbed the friend of his guns, a gold chain, his cellphone, and even his clothes, leaving him in only his boxer shorts and socks.
Left stranded and stripped of his belongings, the friend ran back to his house and desperately tried to warn Rogers about the setup, but his attempts to make contact online were unsuccessful. Unaware of the danger, Rogers was driving his truck with a female passenger when he parked in the 5700 block of N. 65th St. around 7:30 p.m. Moments later, the same car with tinted windows sped past his truck, then abruptly reversed and parked alongside it. As Rogers began to reach for his own gun from the armrest, two armed individuals exited the other car, and an exchange of gunfire erupted.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the female passenger witnessed one of the armed men enter Rogers' truck. The assailant went through Rogers' pockets, stealing his money, cellphone, handgun, and possibly his wallet before fleeing the scene. Rogers had been critically wounded in the shootout. First responders rushed him to Froedtert Hospital, where he fought for his life for two days before succumbing to his injuries on Saturday evening.
The Milwaukee police investigation into the homicide eventually led them to a suspect. Using phone records, detectives were able to link 20-year-old Terrel D. Brooks to the scene of the crime. When brought in for questioning on April 4, Brooks admitted to his involvement, stating that he drove the car to and from the robbery and shooting. He identified his accomplices as 20-year-old Romello Anderson and another man, claiming they were the ones who shot at Rogers. While Anderson was questioned by police regarding Rogers' death, he was not charged in this case; however, he faced reckless homicide charges for a separate fatal shooting that occurred in November 2015. For his role in the fatal drug-related robbery, Terrel D. Brooks was arrested and charged with armed robbery and felony murder in connection with the death of Rickole Rogers.
