A Milwaukee County judge on Friday, Jan. 16, sentenced 18-year-old Jaden Jenkins-Delane to three-and-a-half years in prison, plus three years and three months of extended supervision, for a fatal January 2025 shooting near 60th Street and Sheridan Avenue. Jenkins-Delane had pleaded guilty in November to homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon in the killing of 18-year-old Christopher Carter.
Sentence and plea
Court records show Jenkins-Delane entered his guilty plea on Nov. 1 to one count of homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. He was given 3 years behind bars followed by extended supervision. As reported by FOX6 Milwaukee, prosecutors told the court the term reflects both the deadly outcome and what Jenkins-Delane admitted when questioned by investigators.
Court filings and surveillance
According to court filings, prosecutors reviewed surveillance audio that captured a single gunshot, followed by a male voice saying, "he shot me bro." The materials also showed Jenkins-Delane running downstairs with two handguns and later returning without them, according to the documents. The criminal complaint states Jenkins-Delane initially gave detectives multiple, conflicting versions of what happened, then later told investigators he was clearing a round from the chamber when the gun went off, an admission reported by FOX6 Milwaukee.
Victim and timeline
The shooting occurred on Jan. 9, 2025, around 5 p.m. near 60th and Sheridan. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner later identified the victim as 18-year-old Christopher Carter Jr. Local coverage reports that after the shooting, Jenkins-Delane and his mother drove Carter to a hospital, where he died from his injuries hours later. The mother told police she heard Carter say he had been shot while they were on the way to the hospital. According to CBS58, Carter was from Texas and had been staying with the family.
What the law says
The charge Jenkins-Delane pleaded to is listed under Wisconsin Statute 940.08 as homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon, a Class G felony centered on criminal negligence in using a dangerous weapon. Legal summaries note that to secure a conviction, the state must prove that the negligent handling of the weapon caused the death, per Justia.
Next steps
With the plea and sentencing now on the record, the criminal case is effectively closed unless an appeal is filed. The sentence includes a lengthy stretch of extended supervision after Jenkins-Delane leaves prison. Prosecutors relied on surveillance, audio, and interview records to support accepting a negligent-handling plea in the deadly Jan. 2025 shooting near 60th and Sheridan.
