A Milwaukee County courtroom handed down a decision on Tuesday that is turning heads downtown: Dominec Gaines Jr. was given seven years of probation in a shooting near the Milwaukee School of Engineering that left one man dead and a teenager wounded.
Gaines had been found guilty in March on an amended charge of attempted armed robbery as a party to a crime. The judge had initially ordered a 10-year prison term plus eight years of extended supervision, then stayed that 18-year sentence and replaced it with straight probation. The July 2025 shooting was captured on nearby surveillance cameras.
According to FOX6 Milwaukee, the ruling came Tuesday after the court reviewed Gaines' role in the incident and the amended charge. The station reports that its account is based on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access records and the criminal complaint.
Video Shows Alleged Robbery Move, Then Gunfire
Surveillance footage described in court records shows Gaines, a 15-year-old, and the eventual victim walking "with purpose" through the intersection of Juneau and Milwaukee streets shortly before the shooting, according to TMJ4.
The video, as summarized in the complaint, shows two young men producing firearms and Gaines reaching into another person's pockets. A fifth person then opens fire, striking the 21-year-old man and wounding the 15-year-old. Police later located and arrested Gaines at the scene, the outlet reports.
From Felony Murder Charge To Amended Conviction
Gaines was originally charged with felony murder, but that count was later amended. In March, a court found him guilty of attempted armed robbery as a party to a crime, which set the stage for Tuesday's sentencing decision, FOX6 Milwaukee reports.
Family members identified the man who died as 21-year-old Raymond Wilson, according to earlier reporting by CBS58. Local coverage notes that the wounded 15-year-old survived and received treatment from first responders.
What It Means
Felony murder carries far steeper penalties than attempted armed robbery, and prosecutors' charging decisions in Gaines' case were shaped by surveillance footage and the criminal complaint, WISN 12 reports.
Under the current order, Gaines will remain under court supervision for seven years. If he violates the terms of that probation, the stayed 18-year sentence could be put into effect and he could be sent to prison.
The case is again spotlighting concerns about late-night safety in downtown Milwaukee, particularly around entertainment corridors and near campus, where city leaders and university officials have been pressing for ways to cut down on violent confrontations.
