Man Faces Homicide Charges After Students Killed In South Milwaukee

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI — Charges were filed on Wednesday against a man in connection with the fatal December shootings of two students in South Milwaukee, according to police.

Brandon J. Randall, 22, of South Milwaukee, is facing two charges of first-degree intentional homicide alongside charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm silencer, according to court records.

Police on Wednesday said they are still trying to find a motive in the fatal shootings of the 17- and 18-year-olds. Police also said that the accused was an acquaintance of one of the two who were killed. The two were discovered on Dec. 29 near 5th Avenue and Bay Heights Road unresponsive in a car with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the complaint.

Media reports and fundraisers identified the two who were killed as 17-year-old Ava Allen and 18-year-old Jaelen Yracheta. One fundraiser noted that Allen was a senior at Franklin High School, while Yracheta was studying at Milwaukee Area Technical College to become a master electrician.

"Their families and close friends are now bearing the weight of heavy grief, trying to understand the sudden loss of two vibrant, young lives," read one GoFundMe listed by Kevin Sojuland. "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."

See also: Man Arrested After Students Found Shot Dead In South Milwaukee

After his arrest on Jan. 10, Randall told police in an interview, "well [expletive], can't make it right, it already done," according to the complaint. The accused also told police he couldn't remember committing the crime, but that when he closed his eyes he saw flashes and "regular Jaelen with a smile, that's it," according to the complaint.

Police were able to find doorbell footage that showed the final moments of the two teens, the complaint said.

The suspect, wearing a COVID-19-style mask and latex gloves, walked up to the teens' car and entered the rear passenger door before multiple shots are heard and flashes are seen inside the car, footage showed according to the complaint. The suspect could then be seen reaching over the bodies of the two then leaving the car after about a minute, the complaint said.

An officer found a phone inside a sewer nearby the crime scene the following day that belonged to one of the killed, according to the complaint. Police searched the phone and found texts that showed one of the teens arranging to sell marijuana at a location nearby where he was shot, the complaint said. The text chain also showed the teen sending a message saying he is at the location about 12 minutes before police believe he was shot, according to the complaint.

Police traced the other number from the exchange and connected it with a relative of the defendant, according to the complaint. Police later found and arrested Randall in the 10400 block of West Fond Du Lac Avenue, the complaint said.

During interviews with police, Randall said he considered shooting it out with police, adding that he had enough guns, and that officers found him at just the right time because he was considering suicide, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, police showed the video they had to Randall, who later exclaimed "I'm gone for the rest of my life bro." He then called his girlfriend in tears and said "It's over, they showed me everything - told me everything. And they showed me the video, I don't remember doing it bro," the complaint said.

If Randall is convicted, each homicide charge could carry a life sentence in prison.

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