Milwaukee social club shooting, 7th person now charged
Surveillance shows Samonte Wright, others on Dec. 21, 2024 (Courtesy: MCDAO)
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County prosecutors have charged a seventh person in connection to a 2024 shooting that wounded three people at an after-hours social club.
Club shooting
The backstory:
The shooting happened at Holton and Townsend around 3 a.m. on Dec. 21, 2024. A doorbell camera captured screams of panic before a car sped away.
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Milwaukee police said three people – ages 49, 29 and 16 – were shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The owner was among the victims.
At least one of the people who is now charged told police he is related to the owner, and the shooting unfolded during what was supposed to be a family gathering. The owner told officers the party was for a man named Otis Green, who is also charged.
Image from inside after-hours social club near Holton and Townsend
Dig deeper:
Detectives were able to review surveillance from inside the club, where police said there were two separate shootings.
Prosecutors said Vincent Reel and Delvin Hightire were arguing when both men drew guns and exchanged gunfire. That’s when the owner grabbed a shotgun with non-lethal ammunition and appeared to usher people out of the room.
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Green, Hightire, Shorontay Smith and Samonte Wright surrounded the owner, and court filings said Wright grabbed the shotgun out of the owner's hands and pointed a pistol at the owner's face. Wright later grabbed a pistol from the owner's waistband, which Smith kicked. The four then left together.
Video showed Wright firing a pistol into the building, and Hightire turned and fired additional shots as well. They then got in a van with Smith and left.
Image from outside after-hours social club near Holton and Townsend
In court
What's next:
Prosecutors said the investigation into the case is ongoing, and additional charges could be added. The status of the seven people charged in the case is as follows, as of March 14:
Gary Cooper-Wertz, 29:
- Dec. 31, 2024: Charged with possession of a firearm by a felon
- Jan. 10, 2025: Bond set at $15,000
- Feb. 26, 2025: Pleaded not guilty and bound over for trial
Joyce Ford, 29:
- Jan. 10, 2025: Charged with endangering safety by reckless use of a firearm
- Jan. 10, 2025: Bond set at $50,000
Otis Green, 31:
- Jan. 2, 2025: Charged with armed robbery, first-degree reckless injury, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and possession of a firearm by a felon
- Jan. 2, 2025: Bond set at $150,000
Top (L-R) Gary Cooper-Wertz, Joyce Ford, Otis Green, Delvin Hightire; Bottom (L-R) Vincent Reel, Shorontay Smith, Samonte Wright
Delvin Hightire, 44:
- Jan. 19, 2025: Charged with armed robbery, first-degree reckless injury and first-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Jan. 21, 2025: Bond set at $150,000
- March 7, 2025: Pleaded not guilty and bound over for trial
Vincent Reel, 44:
- Jan. 12, 2025: Charged with first-degree reckless injury and possession of a firearm by a felon
- Jan. 13, 2025: Bond set at $100,000
- Feb. 20, 2025: Pleaded not guilty and bound over for trial
Shorontay Smith, 39:
- Jan. 12, 2025: Charged with armed robbery
- Jan. 12, 2025: Bond set at $5,000 (posted on Jan. 17, 2025)
Samonte Wright, 33:
- March 4, 2025: Charged with armed robbery, first-degree reckless injury and first-degree recklessly endangering safety
- March 9, 2025: Bond set at $50,000
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.