In the early morning hours of October 12, 2013, Joseph Malicki, a 30-year-old Caucasian male, was found deceased in an alley in the 2100 block of S. 25th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Responding to a call just before 2:00 a.m., police discovered Malicki had sustained five gunshot wounds. A subsequent examination by the Medical Examiner determined that one of the wounds, to the back of his head, had been fired at close range.
The investigation into the homicide led authorities to
19-year-old Joshua Buford. According to a criminal complaint filed later, Buford told investigators that he had been with Malicki and another man on the night of the shooting. He claimed Malicki had recently purchased a gun and wanted to test-fire it in the alley. After Malicki fired a shot into a garage, he handed the weapon to Buford.
According to Buford's statement to police, the third man present urged him "to do it." Buford interpreted this as a command to shoot Malicki as part of an initiation into the Cobra street gang, which he was hoping to join for a sense of belonging and protection. Buford admitted to turning his head away and firing the gun once at Malicki, who was walking down the alley, and then continuing to fire as Malicki fell to the ground. Afterward, the third individual allegedly took the gun, stating he "wanted to get one in," and shot Malicki once more. The motive for targeting Malicki was reportedly the gang's fear that he was planning to retaliate for a different homicide.
In February 2014, Joshua Buford was arrested and charged in connection with Joseph Malicki's death. The charges against him included first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
