A man who is suspected of murdering two people during a 2006 Memorial Day weekend mass shooting has finally been taken into custody in Mexico.
The 48-year-old suspect has been on the lamb since the events took place almost 16 years ago, stated a report from NBC News. The alleged shooter reportedly had an argument with his estranged wife when he attended a holiday picnic held out on Lake Michigan, demanding of her to let him see his young daughter. Reportedly, along with the family, there were many hundreds of other people and families celebrating in the same area. The arguing couple was reportedly in the final stages of a harsh divorce. His wife told him to leave, which set him off into a rage as he pulled out a handgun and forced the other five partygoers down on their knees before shooting them “execution-style” well before they had the chance to follow his orders, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He then shot his wife twice in the chest and left her to die, but she survived. Four others were shot in the incident, and two of them died as a result of their injuries.
As stated in a press release, the FBI highlighted that the man was placed on the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on September 8, 2021, despite the fact that there was already an arrest warrant that was issued for him on the 1st of June, 2006 by the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. He was formally charged with first-degree attempted homicide and first-degree homicide. Allegedly, he went on the lamb which caused another charge to be slammed against him, a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was tacked on to an already heinous list of crimes.
He was finally taken into custody while in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico on the 3rd of February, 2022. As reported by the Journal Sentinel, it was a simple tip that ended up allowing the FBI to track down and capture the fleeing suspect. When he was originally placed on the Most Wanted list, a large reward of roughly $100,000 was offered for his capture.
The suspect “spent the last 16 years running from law enforcement, hiding in another country, and believing time and distance was on his side,” stated Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI’s Milwaukee Field Office as part of a press release. “The FBI has a long reach and extraordinary law enforcement partnerships across the globe. I commend the tireless efforts of all our partners from Milwaukee to Mexico in closely coordinating with the FBI in capturing this wanted fugitive and helping to bring this violent offender to justice, as well as closure to the victims and their families.”
“The Milwaukee Police Department appreciates all of the efforts by the FBI and assisting law enforcement agencies involved in the apprehension. … With his capture, we are one step closer to bringing justice and closure to the victims, the victims’ families and everyone that was impacted by this tragic incident. I am committed to working with our community and system partners to build sustainable neighborhoods free of crime that are built on positive relationships,” Jeffrey Norman, the Milwaukee Police Chief, stated in addition.
The FBI also highlighted that he “was the 525th person to be placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, which was established in 1950.”