A Tuesday night recording session at a Milwaukee music studio turned deadly on April 28, leaving 18-year-old Damare Johnson dead and five people now facing charges in the case. A criminal complaint filed this week links surveillance video and witness statements to the allegations.
Charges and arrests
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office has charged five people: 20-year-old Tayshaun Buchanan, 19-year-old Tyreik Tucker‑Harris, 18-year-old Paul McNeil, 19-year-old Aaron Mims and 17-year-old Billyen Hall. Buchanan faces a warrant and reckless-homicide allegations, while Tucker‑Harris and McNeil are also charged with first-degree reckless homicide. Bond for McNeil and Tucker‑Harris was set at $400,000, with Mims and the 17-year-old held on $20,000 and $2,000 respectively, as reported by CBS 58.
Prosecutors' account of the shooting
Court filings state the shooting happened at a studio near Fond du Lac Avenue and Hickory Street on Tuesday night, April 28. Officers found a bullet hole in a door and Johnson unresponsive inside, according to FOX6 Milwaukee. McNeil told detectives he had rented the room from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., learned another group was coming and said he pulled a gun after someone allegedly pointed one at him, though he denied firing. Tucker‑Harris admitted firing a shot at the wall but told investigators he did not hit anyone.
Video, witnesses and the autopsy
According to the criminal complaint, motion-activated video shows Buchanan, Tucker‑Harris and McNeil in the building, at times holding firearms, and the studio owner told investigators he was "certain" the first group opened fire, as detailed by CBS 58. An autopsy reported two gunshot wounds to Johnson's back and arm.
Evidence recovered
Detectives say they stopped a white SUV that turned out to be a Lyft and found three guns, including two tucked under seats where Tucker‑Harris and Mims had been sitting. Vehicle video allegedly shows Mims hiding a gun, according to FOX6 Milwaukee. Ballistics tests in the complaint state that none of the three guns recovered from the victim's group fired the casings found at the scene.
What the charges mean
First-degree reckless homicide in Wisconsin is a Class B felony that applies when someone recklessly causes death under circumstances showing an "utter disregard for human life." Prosecutors can pursue defendants as parties to a crime, and convictions carry significant prison exposure, according to the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instructions. These remain allegations, and the people charged are presumed innocent as the case moves through the courts.
Police ask for tips
Milwaukee police are asking anyone with information to call MPD at (414) 935-7360 or Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS, or to submit tips through the P3 Tips app, as reported by WISN. The investigation remains active, and prosecutors filed the complaint in early May.
