Man Arrested After Students Found Shot Dead In South Milwaukee

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI — A man from South Milwaukee was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the fatal shootings of a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, according to police.

Police said they arrested the 22-year-old suspect on Tuesday in Milwaukee and referred charges of first-degree intentional homicide to the county district attorney after an extensive investigation. Several media reports have identified the two killed as 17-year-old Ava Allen and 18-year-old Jaelen Yracheta.

Someone had found the two teenagers shot to death in a car on Dec. 29 near 5th Avenue and Bay Heights Road in South Milwaukee, police said.

Related: Man And Teen Found Shot; Dead Inside Car In South Milwaukee: Police

A report by WISN12 noted that the two found dead were first cousins. At least two fundraisers were started in the wake of the deaths.

One fundraiser on GoFundMe was listed by Kevin Sojuland, who wrote he is a first cousin of the deceased. Allen was a senior at Franklin High School, while Yracheta was attending Milwaukee Area Techincal College in an effort to become a master electrician, the fundraiser said.

"Their families and close friends are now bearing the weight of heavy grief, trying to understand the sudden loss of two vibrant, young lives," the fundraiser reads. "While we cannot begin to comprehend these senseless acts, we can find comfort in holding the memories of Ava and Jaelen in our hearts. The two had so much more life to live."

Another fundraiser for Allen organized by Mackenzie Allen, who also wrote she is a first cousin on GoFundMe, said Ava "wanted to see the world and we held on to her dreams. She was a genuine person with an angelic intuition."

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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