Onterio Girley : “Milwaukee: 17-Year-Old Charged in Washington Park Shooting”

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MILWAUKEE – A 17-year-old teenager is facing multiple felony charges following a shooting incident at Washington Park in Milwaukee.

Authorities allege that Onterio Girley discharged a fully-automatic weapon at the northern section of the park on the evening of June 19.

Court documents suggest that surveillance footage indicates Girley fired the gun at the same time a 15-year-old boy was struck by gunfire and sustained injuries.

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According to a legal complaint, the 15-year-old boy is a suspect in the homicide of 17-year-old Sherrone Thornton, who was fatally shot at the park on the same night.

Prosecutors have indicated that charges related to Thornton’s death “are currently under evaluation and, if filed, will be detailed in a separate complaint.”

Onterio Girley has been charged with the following:

• 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety
• Possession of a Firearm by an Adjudicated Delinquent
• Sell/Possess/Use/Transport a Machine Gun
• Felony Bail Jumping

Details of the Case

As per the criminal complaint, on June 19, a detective from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Washington Park in Milwaukee.

The detective was informed by dispatch that around 50 individuals, aged between 14 and 18 years old, were engaged in altercations on the park’s north side. He observed the group of juveniles shouting and moving in clusters.

While monitoring the crowd to identify the instigators of the brawl, the detective heard five gunshots. Subsequently, he heard sustained fully-automatic gunfire emanating from the same vicinity.

The detective spotted a slender black male wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with his arm raised, holding a tan and black pistol. He noted a silver apparatus on the rear of the gun’s slide, which he recognised as a “switch” that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully-automatic weapon, according to the complaint.

The individual wielding the automatic weapon, later identified as Onterio Girley, continued to discharge multiple bursts of gunfire from the weapon while fleeing the scene. The detective, in an unmarked patrol car, pursued Girley in an attempt to apprehend him.

Using his vehicle, the detective trailed Girley and positioned his squad car to impede Girley’s escape route, resulting in Girley being struck by the vehicle. Girley was subsequently taken into custody, and his firearm was recovered in close proximity to the area where he attempted to flee.

The following day, another detective interviewed the 15-year-old at Children’s Wisconsin, who was receiving medical treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during the Washington Park shooting. He was also detained in connection to the shooting death of 17-year-old Sherrone Thornton.

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Based on the scrutiny of drone surveillance footage from the incident, it appears that the 15-year-old was struck by gunfire discharged from the automatic weapon wielded by Girley, according to the complaint.

This investigation remains ongoing, and the complaint may not encompass all details known to law enforcement at present. Charges could be revised or expanded as the investigation progresses.

Previous Juvenile Adjudication

Onterio Girley was previously adjudicated delinquent for Armed Robbery – Party to a Crime. Consequently, Girley is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Ongoing Felony Case

Onterio Girley also faces a charge of Possessing a Firearm – Adjudicated Delinquent of a Felony. Girley was granted release from custody on a $750 cash bond on May 24, 2024, under the stipulation that he refrains from committing any further criminal acts and refrains from firearm possession.