On the evening of February 5, 2014, in a residence on the 3200 block of North 1st Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 17-year-old Precise Martin, a Black male, was tragically cut short. Police were dispatched to the home near 1st and Ring around 10:15 p.m. following a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found Martin in a second-floor bedroom with a single gunshot wound to his chest. Despite life-saving measures performed by officials, he succumbed to his injury.
The medical examiner later confirmed the cause of death as the gunshot wound.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a scene of reckless horseplay that turned fatal. According to witness statements and the criminal complaint, Martin was with 21-year-old Emmanuel Richards and at least one other person in the bedroom. They were "playing around" with an AR-15 rifle, pointing it at one another and "dry firing" the weapon. Witnesses reported that at some point, Richards took the rifle from Martin, and a shot was fired. The complaint states that Richards' fingerprints were discovered on the rifle, which was later found by police in a basement bathroom of the residence. The weapon was loaded, containing nine rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Emmanuel Richards fled the scene. Police observed fresh footprints in the snow leading from the residence to a rear cottage. Inside, they discovered Richards hiding in a kitchen pantry under clothing and a stroller. After being taken into custody, Richards told investigators that he and Martin had been wrestling with and poking each other with the rifle. He claimed he did not believe the weapon was real, even though the owner had told him it was. Richards was subsequently charged with homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon.
