Milwaukee Christmas Day shooting at 37th and Scott; 2 men charged

MILWAUKEE - Two 18-year-old Milwaukee men are now charged in connection with the fatal shooting deaths of two people on the city's south side on Christmas Day 2024. 

Fatal shooting investigation

What we know:

The accused are Quintarez Morris and Jeremiah Taylor – and each faces two counts of first-degree reckless homicide.

Quintarez Morris, Jeremiah Taylor

According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 for a shooting near 37th and Scott. When officers arrived, they found an SUV that appeared to have struck a front porch of a residence. Just outside the SUV was a teenage boy with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced deceased on the scene -- and later identified by family members as Exziel Rivera. 

Exziel Rivera

An 18-year-old woman in the back seat of the SUV was also wounded by gunfire. She was taken to a hospital where she later died. The medical examiner identified her as Nayah Vasquez (not pictured).

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A detective on the scene found 13 spent 10 mm cartridge casings near 37th and Scott. The complaint says the SUV "had a bullet strike to the front passenger side grill, a bullet strike to the front passenger side quarter panel, two bullet strikes to the front passenger door, and a bullet strike to the rear passenger side door. The front and rear passenger side windows were shattered."

Shooting scene near 37th and Scott

Timeline:

Law enforcement recovered videos from several cameras in the area of the shooting. In one of those videos, a "black Malibu traveling on Scott St. crosses the intersection, and a light-skinned male leans out of the front passenger window and fires a gun multiple times at the Kia," the complaint says. The court filings went on to say the "Malibu approached the  intersection at a high rate of speed but slowed almost to a stop during the time that the shooter is firing at the Kia." The Malibu then speeds off. The SUV "travels a short distance down 37th Street, where it first strikes a parked car and then rolls up against the porch where police found it," the complaint says.

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Police spoke to two people who were inside the SUV at the time of the shooting. One stated the people in the SUV "had arranged to buy weed from a man who told them to stop and wait. While they were stopped, a black car came across the intersection and a man leaned out of that car and started shooting," the complaint says.

Shooting scene near 37th and Scott

Police spoke to a second person in the SUV, who identified the shooter as the defendant, Jeremiah Taylor. This person also noted that "prior to the shooting there had been bad blood" between his friends and Taylor's friends.

Later on Dec. 25, officers located the black Malibu with "distinctive damage and features." It had been found burnt in Dineen Park in Milwaukee.

According to the criminal complaint, police spoke to the owner of the Malibu. She indicated defendant Quintarez Morris "had been using the Malibu and had been in the process of buying it from her," the complaint says. After she learned the vehicle was burned, she "spoke to Morris who told her that he had been driving it during the shooting on the south side," the complaint says. Court filings then say Morris identified the shooter in this case as defendant Taylor.

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Milwaukee Christmas morning fatal shooting; 2 men arrested

Milwaukee police arrested two men, ages 18 and 21, after a Christmas morning shooting that left two teens dead. It happened near 37th and Scott.

On Dec. 30, police arrested defendant Morris at a Milwaukee apartment. He posted $7,500 cash to get out of jail earlier this month. Online court records indicated there was a warrant issued for Morris' arrest. Milwaukee police say Morris was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

An arrest warrant has also been issued for Taylor – he is not in police custody.

What's next:

Once Morris and Taylor are taken into custody, each will be scheduled to make an initial appearance in Milwaukee County court.