Shooting outside downtown Milwaukee lounge, man charged

article

Justin Smith

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused of killing two people and wounding three others in a shooting outside a downtown lounge last summer.

In court:

Court records show 24-year-old Justin Smith made his initial court appearance on Wednesday, and a court commissioner set his bond at $500,000. He is charged with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide and three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Water Street shooting

The backstory:

The shooting happened just after midnight on July 12, 2025. Milwaukee police arrived at the scene and found two victims on the ground outside ELMNT Lounge. One victim, 52-year-old Antwan Hogans, died at the scene and the other, 39-year-old Kevin Lewis, died at a hospital later that day.

Scene near Water and Michigan

Three other victims were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. A criminal complaint said one victim told police he was headed to a bar when he heard multiple gunshots and realized he'd been hit, but did not see who shot him. Another victim said he was waiting to get into ELMNT Lounge when he saw two or three SUVs pull over and heard gunshots, and told police he "did not recall any issue that would cause the shooting."

Court filings said investigators found "numerous" .40 caliber bullet casings and a .223 caliber bullet casing at the scene. A .40 caliber gun with an "after-market auto switch affixed to the back" was found in the street in front of ELMNT Lounge. Two SUVs parked outside had numerous bullet strikes, as did numerous businesses to the north of the lounge.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

What we know:

Investigators reviewed surveillance cameras from ELMNT Lounge. The complaint said video showed a crowd of people outside the lounge when a Jeep and a Dodge drove past but turned around and pulled up next to the crowd. A passenger got out of the Jeep, and muzzle flashes could be seen "erupting" from the vehicle.

Prosecutors said it was apparent that the suspect who got out, as well as someone inside the Jeep, were firing shots. The Dodge fled the scene, and "puffs of smoke consistent with gunfire" were seen coming from the driver's side.

The suspect who'd gotten out got back into the Jeep, which then fled the scene. Court filings said the .40 caliber gun was recovered "in the exact location" that that suspect was seen shooting from.

Additional video showed there were "at minimum" three shooters, according to the complaint, two of whom arrived in the Jeep. The suspect who got out of the Jeep was "in the line of fire" of the person who was shooting from inside the Jeep. No one appeared to return fire toward the Jeep or the Dodge.

Suspect identified

What we know:

Less than an hour after the shooting, the complaint said Smith was dropped off at a hospital with a gunshot wound. He told police he was walking near 53rd and Fairmount when he was shot in a drive-by between 12:15 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. – shortly after the shooting outside ELEMENT Lounge.

Court filings said numerous officers were on patrol in the area where Smith claimed he'd been shot, and they did not hear any gunshots. Nobody in the area reported any shootings, and there was no evidence that a shooting had occurred.

ELMNT Lounge

Smith arrived at the hospital in clothing that matched the description of the shooter who got out of the Jeep, according to the complaint. 

Investigators collected a DNA sample from Smith and compared it against swabs taken of the .40 caliber gun that was found at the scene. Court filings said there was a four-person DNA mixture on the gun's trigger and trigger guard, and an analyst found "very strong support" that Smith's DNA was included in that mixture.

Prosecutors said investigators took note of the vehicle that dropped Smith off at the hospital. Using GPS tracking data and surveillance cameras, the complaint said police determined Smith was in the Jeep and "working in concert with" others in the Jeep and the Dodge to carry out the shooting – after which he went to a home and someone there drove him to the hospital.