Sheridan Park shooting; West Allis man pleads guilty, sentenced

West Allis man charged in park shooting

A West Allis man has been charged in a shooting that happened at Sheridan Park in Cudahy on Friday, June 28.

CUDAHY, Wis. - A West Allis man who was charged in a shooting that happened at Sheridan Park in Cudahy on June 28, 2024, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Leon Chatman, 46, was originally charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, along with two counts of possession of a firearm by adjudicated delinquent.

Following plea negotiations earlier in the year, Chatman pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of 1st-degree reckless injury, along with one count of possession of a firearm by adjudicated delinquent.

Leon Chatman

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The other firearm possession count was dismissed and read in.

On Friday, Chatman was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of extended supervision, with 430 days time served.

Original reporting (July 2024)

The backstory:

Per a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to Sheridan Park for a report of a man who was shot in the head. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, who had been shot in the back of his head.

Arriving at scene

The sheriff’s office said the 56-year-old victim was found on the ground and bleeding heavily from his head.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injury. A CT scan confirmed the presence of a bullet fragment in his skull.

Red's identity

After he was medically treated, the victim told officers that he had been at the park that day with a friend he knew as "Red." He didn’t know Red’s real name, but knew him from meeting at a veterans affairs medical center.

Leon Chatman

Detectives were able to identify Red as 45-year-old Leon Chatman.

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The victim said on June 17, Chatman had loaned him about $40 for food after he lost his job. He said he and Chatman met up in the late afternoon on June 28, and was upset over the money loaned to him and was telling him he wanted his money.

Detectives later recovered a gun that preliminary testing showed was the same one that fired the recovered spent casing that day at the park.