Milwaukee murder cases: Teenager arrested and charged in two shootings days apart

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MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee teenager accused of shooting two people, including a 9-year-old boy, within days of each other in June is now in custody after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

According to court records, 17-year-old Damarion Glenn is charged with, among other things, first-degree intentional homicide for one shot and first-degree negligent homicide for the other shot.

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Police were called to a shooting at an apartment complex on Swan Road, north of Brown Deer Road. Officers found 11 shell casings and numerous bullet holes in windows and on two different floors of the multi-story building.

A criminal complaint says the bullets struck a fifth-floor bedroom where three children, ages 12, 9 and 6, were staying. The 9-year-old, identified as Jonael Zambrano, was lying in his bed when he was shot. He died at the hospital.

Child shot near Swan and Fairy Chasm (June 13, 2024)

Two days after the shooting, investigators spoke with a witness. According to the complaint, the witness said a group of people were outside the apartment complex when one of them fired a shot. Glenn and someone else then “fired into the air in response” before later firing into the building, the witness said.

Prosecutors said police spoke to 15-year-old Christian Hubanks on Aug. 14 – more than two months after Zambrano's death. He said he and Glenn went to the apartment complex because another person was talking “crazy” about them. They later saw that person and fired into the air, he said – and the other person shot at them but missed.

According to the complaint, Hubanks said Glenn was angry about what happened and they returned to where they thought the other person was and shot at them from outside. He also said Glenn was now “somewhere out of state” and that he knew Glenn and another teen had been involved in a shooting that occurred a few days later in Washington Park.

Both Glenn and Hubanks are charged with first-degree manslaughter and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment in the case. Hubanks made his initial court appearance on August 19 and his bail was set at $300,000.

A 911 caller reported a fight in the park involving about 50 children before shots were fired shortly before 9 p.m. The 17-year-old victim was taken to a hospital where he died from his gunshot wounds. The victim has since been identified as Sherrone Thornton.

According to information in the criminal complaint, Thornton was the intended victim of the shooting that led to Zambrano's death on June 13.

Washington Park shooting (June 19, 2024)

According to a criminal complaint, a police officer was already patrolling the area because a concert had ended before the shooting. Organizers said the shooting was not related to the Juneteenth event.

The indictment states that another suspect – aside from the person who shot the 17-year-old – fired into the crowd with a fully automatic pistol before fleeing the park. That person was identified as 17-year-old Onterio Girley, who is now charged with several felonies but is not charged with murder.

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A Milwaukee County Sheriff's drone was used to monitor the shooting. Prosecutors said it showed two distinct groups near the playground before the shooting. One group consisted of Girley and the 17-year-old victim, the other of two suspects – one of whom was shirtless, the other later identified as Shotwell.

Drone video showed the shirtless suspect pulling something from his waistband and raising his arm toward the 17-year-old victim before a muzzle flash was seen, charges say. The victim then fell to the ground and the shirtless suspect ran. Shotwell then appeared to pull something from under his gray sweatshirt and point his arm toward the victim before two distinct muzzle flashes were seen. Prosecutors said Girley then took a gun from the victim's waistband and fired at the shooters.

Shotwell was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound. The complaint states that video from the hospital shows Shotwell in the gray sweatshirt as the second shooter from the Washington Park drone video.

Washington Park shooting (June 19, 2024)

In an interview with police, Shotwell admitted to shooting the victim while he was on the ground, according to charges. He identified himself as the shooter in the drone video and said he shot the 17-year-old because the victim had a gun, but the victim did not threaten him. He also said he had never seen the victim before that day and called the shooting a “mistake.” He later identified Glenn as the shirtless suspect seen with him in the drone video.

Authorities later searched a home near 49th and Congress in connection with the shooting. They found a gun there and questioned a resident. The resident said the gun belonged to Glenn, who left it there because he “didn't want to get caught with a firearm.” He also identified Glenn as the suspected shirtless man seen in the drone video.

Two other juveniles have already been charged in the case. Noah Shotwell, 15, was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in June. His bail was set at $100,000 at his first court appearance and he is due back in court on Aug. 22 for a preliminary hearing. Onterio Girley, 17, was charged in June with first-degree reckless endangerment, among other charges. He pleaded not guilty in July and was arraigned. He remains in jail on $100,000 bail, according to court records.