Milwaukee Man Charged with Multiple Felonies Following Shooting and Crash Involving Ambulance

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man is facing charges for allegedly shooting two individuals and causing a crash involving an ambulance on Thursday, Dec. 14, according to prosecutors.

Ronald Johnson, a 68-year-old resident of Milwaukee, is accused of opening fire on two individuals before colliding with an ambulance that was transporting a third person to a hospital.

The incident occurred in the vicinity of 56th and Burleigh streets around 1 a.m. One of the shooting victims, a 60-year-old, tragically lost their life at the scene, while a 57-year-old victim sustained injuries and was taken to a hospital. Additionally, a 30-year-old individual with non-gunshot related injuries also required hospitalization.

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An autopsy revealed that the 60-year-old victim had sustained five gunshot wounds to the head, face, and chest.

According to the criminal complaint, the 57-year-old victim, while being treated at the hospital, informed the police that the other two victims had been staying with him for the past few days. The victim stated that they were awakened by gunshots and witnessed Johnson, also known as “Smooth,” standing near a bed and firing shots towards the 60-year-old victim. The 57-year-old victim further stated that they were shot after Johnson threatened to kill them as well.

56th and Burleigh shooting, Milwaukee

The 30-year-old victim, in her statement to investigators, revealed that she was abruptly awoken by a blow to her face. She witnessed “Smooth” shooting at the other two victims and fled the house to seek help from the police. The victim also mentioned receiving threatening text messages from Johnson prior to the incident.

The complaint alleges that Johnson intentionally crashed his Kia SUV into the ambulance transporting the 30-year-old victim to the hospital.

According to the ambulance driver, Johnson’s SUV was spotted heading north on 60th Street before driving onto the sidewalk and colliding with the ambulance at the intersection. The driver stated that she heard the sound of the Kia accelerating, but Johnson lost control of the vehicle and struck a light pole on Burleigh Street.

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The ambulance driver rushed to the back of the vehicle to check on her partner and the 30-year-old patient. Upon opening the door, the 30-year-old victim exclaimed, “That’s him, that’s the guy who shot up the house…don’t let him get me,” as stated in the complaint.

Police quickly responded to the crash scene and identified Johnson as the driver of the SUV. Officers noticed that Johnson’s speech was slurred and detected the smell of alcohol. A bottle of vodka and a cellphone were discovered inside the SUV. The fire department administered NARCAN to Johnson due to a suspected drug overdose.

Subsequently, the police contacted the phone number associated with Johnson’s alias, “Smooth.” The cellphone found in Johnson’s SUV rang when dialed by the authorities. Both surviving victims positively identified “Smooth” in a photo lineup, with Johnson’s booking photo being included as the image of “Smooth,” according to the complaint.