Martell Haire, 38, pleaded not guilty Thursday and was ordered to stand trial after a March 19 hearing in Milwaukee. The case centers on an Oct. 20, 2025 shooting near 79th Street and Hampton Avenue that killed 16-year-old Marquis Champion and wounded two other teenagers. The preliminary hearing capped months of investigation that ended with an out-of-state arrest last November, as reported by the Milwaukee Police Department.
Prosecutors' account of the shooting
According to prosecutors, Haire went to a home on the 7900 block of W. Hampton Avenue on the night of Oct. 20 and got into an argument after allegedly making comments about young women at the gathering. The criminal complaint says Haire walked back into the kitchen, pulled out a small black handgun and opened fire on three teenage boys sitting at a table. One survivor told investigators he stayed on the floor and pretended to be dead to avoid being shot again. Detectives reported finding nine spent 9mm casings at the scene and say latent fingerprints on a Jose Cuervo bottle matched Haire, according to the complaint filed with the Milwaukee Police Department.
Surveillance video and what it shows
Court records and local coverage say nearby surveillance video captured a burst of gunfire, roughly 12 shots in about six seconds, and shows someone running from the area roughly 20 seconds earlier. The short clip reportedly ends with neighbors and guests rushing in to help the wounded, as reported by FOX6 News Milwaukee.
Arrest in Oklahoma
U.S. Marshals tracked Haire to a home in Norman, Oklahoma, and arrested him on Nov. 12, 2025. Officials say he tried to run and jumped a fence before being taken into custody, and that he did not have a weapon on him at the time. From jail, Haire later sent a message through a monitored platform insisting, "I'm innocent," and denying that he had threatened police, according to WISN 12 News.
What he faces in court
The Milwaukee County complaint charges Haire with first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon, two counts of first-degree reckless injury, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and possession of a firearm by a felon. Those charges and the underlying evidence are detailed in the criminal complaint, and a public statement from Ald. Mark Chambers outlines the potential penalties if Haire is convicted. Officials have said his total prison exposure, including possible sentence enhancers, could exceed 141 years, according to a statement posted by the City of Milwaukee.
Family and community reaction
Champion, a Bay View High School student, was the nephew of Ald. Mark Chambers Jr., who publicly appealed for tips while asking that the family be given space to grieve. "I'm asking for the community’s help in finding justice for Marquis," he wrote in a statement on the city website. Crime Stoppers and local partners later put up a $25,000 reward for information in the case, according to CBS58.
At the March 19 hearing, Haire entered his not guilty plea and the judge found probable cause to bind the case over for trial. No trial date has been set, and the prosecution will now move forward in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
