A Milwaukee judge has signed off on prosecutors' request to dismiss the criminal case against 33-year-old Shawn Kidd, the security guard once accused in a Jan. 17, 2024 shooting outside Infinity Lounge on the city’s north side. Kidd had been charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and was staring down a March 16 trial date before the case abruptly shifted course.
Case Dismissed Without Prejudice
According to court records, the judge granted the state’s motion to drop the case against Kidd without prejudice, which keeps the door open for prosecutors to bring the charge again later. The move came as the case was heading toward trial next month, a turn first noted by FOX6 Milwaukee.
Shooting That Sparked The Charges
The shooting that triggered the case unfolded just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2024, outside Infinity Lounge near 40th and Fond du Lac. Investigators later collected dozens of shell casings and documented two wounded patrons. Surveillance video and police reports described two men dressed in black firing outside the club, with one of them wearing a shirt labeled “security.” Those details fed directly into the bar’s long-running battle over its license, as chronicled by Urban Milwaukee.
Co-Defendant Pleaded Guilty
While Kidd’s case was dismissed, his co-defendant, Randy Love, took a different route. Earlier in February, Love struck a plea deal, admitting guilt on two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Love’s plea and his upcoming sentencing date are reflected in local court records and coverage by FOX6 Milwaukee.
What “Without Prejudice” Really Means
A dismissal without prejudice does not clear Kidd’s name in a legal sense, nor does it count as a determination of guilt. Instead, it preserves the state’s ability to refile the same charge if prosecutors uncover more evidence or fix any procedural problems. Legal reference materials explain that this kind of dismissal keeps the case in a holding pattern, with any future refiling still bound by statutes of limitation and court rules, as outlined by LegalClarity.
Neighborhood And Policy Backdrop
Infinity Lounge itself has been on thin ice at City Hall. In mid-2024, the Milwaukee Common Council voted to move toward shutting the venue down after a string of violent incidents, including the Jan. 17 shooting. The business has pushed back in court, turning the nightlife spot into a test case for how the city handles troubled establishments. That licensing fight, and the gunfire that helped fuel it, highlight broader tensions over nightclub security, permit enforcement and public safety on Milwaukee’s northwest side, as reported by Urban Milwaukee.
