MILWAUKEE, WI – A late-night gathering outside a strip mall turned into a rapid and deadly exchange of gunfire that killed an aspiring nurse and sent a teenager to prison for more than a decade. The shooting, described by investigators as a “wild west-style shootout,” unfolded in seconds but left lasting consequences for multiple families.
Earl Williams III, 18, was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by eight years of extended supervision after pleading guilty in May to felony murder in the death of 19-year-old Bre’nee Veasley. Court records show Williams received credit for nearly a year already served.
The violence erupted the night of June 20 on the 8200 block of West Brown Deer Road, where a crowd had gathered outside a party. According to a probable cause affidavit, a witness saw a man wearing a ski mask holding a gun in the parking lot.
“She asked the man to put the gun away because it was ‘scaring her,’” the affidavit states. Moments later, gunfire broke out.
Shootout unfolded in seconds
Investigators said the masked individual — later identified as Williams — opened fire, triggering a rapid exchange involving multiple shooters. The witness reported ducking under vehicles as bullets flew and later saw Veasley had been struck.
Police arrived around 11 p.m. and found evidence of gunfire across multiple areas of the lot. Investigators determined that shots were “clustered” in three different locations, “indicating a wild west-style shootout.”
Authorities said 110 rounds were fired from 11 different firearms in roughly 20 seconds. Williams was armed with a gun equipped with a “switch,” a device that converts a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic firearm.
Although investigators said Williams did not fire the fatal shot, prosecutors argued he initiated the gunfire that led to Veasley’s death, forming the basis of the felony murder charge.
Aftermath and co-defendants
Williams told investigators he began shooting because he believed rival gang members in the parking lot were armed. He arrived at the scene with two others, who are accused of helping him flee afterward and attempting to conceal evidence by spray-painting a vehicle.
Those individuals, identified as Isiah Daniels and Jardan Anderson, are each charged with harboring or aiding a felon. Both are scheduled to appear in court on separate days next week.
Veasley’s death reverberated beyond the crime scene. A GoFundMe campaign described her as a dedicated student preparing for a future in healthcare.
“A 19-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. A college student. A nurse, taken the night before her first day saving lives,” the fundraiser states. “A peacemaker. A light in our family.”
The fundraiser added, “She did everything right—and still, this city failed to protect her.”
