A Milwaukee man is facing homicide charges after a shooting near a food truck last month left one man dead and a food truck worker wounded, with court records now showing he was free on bail at the time. Lexus Ford is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless injury, and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the Aug. 28 shooting near N. 26th and W. Walnut streets that killed 39-year-old Michael Jackson, also known as Mike Lee.
Milwaukee police were called to the area around 3:46 a.m. that morning and found 39-year-old Michael T. Jackson dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to WISN-TV. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed his identity. A second man was shot in the lower body and taken to a hospital.
According to the second man's account to investigators, he had been speaking with Jackson before the two separated, and approximately seven or eight gunshots were heard, according to CBS 58. Investigators say detectives traced a vehicle, which led them to Ford as a suspect.
A Stolen Jeep Set Off the Confrontation
Per the criminal complaint, Ford told investigators his Jeep had been stolen earlier that night and that after tracking it down, he saw Jackson taking items from it. Ford admitted to police that he then retrieved a gun that was inside the vehicle and fired at Jackson, according to the criminal complaint details reported by CBS 58. The confrontation, which began as an apparent property crime, escalated within minutes into gunfire that left one man dead and another wounded.
Ford's ex-girlfriend told detectives that he called her the night of the shooting to report his Jeep stolen and admitted he had shot and hurt someone, telling her, “I fucked up,” per the same account. The supplied account does not include a separate witness statement. Ford is currently in custody and could make his first appearance in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Suspect Was Free on Bail at Time of Shooting
Court and arrest records show Ford was free on bail at the time of the Aug. 28 shooting, stemming from a separate Waukesha County drug case, according to CBS 58 and jail booking records from RecentlyBooked. That detail has renewed local attention on pretrial release conditions for defendants facing prior charges.
If convicted, Ford faces significant prison time. Under Wisconsin Statute § 940.02, first-degree reckless homicide is a Class B felony carrying a maximum penalty of up to 60 years in prison, typically structured as up to 40 years of initial confinement followed by 20 years of extended supervision, according to the Milwaukee Criminal Lawyer firm. The felon-in-possession charge, under Wisconsin Statute § 941.29, is a Class G felony that can add up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, per Grieve Law.
License Plate Readers Under New Scrutiny
The technology that helped identify Ford's vehicle has become a subject of debate in Milwaukee just as this investigation was unfolding. In early September, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and police leadership instituted new rules restricting automatic license plate reader databases like Flock Safety to supervisors investigating major Part I violent crimes, according to the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. As of mid-2026, the Milwaukee Police Department's plate-reader inventory included 35 Flock Safety cameras, 39 Genetec cameras, and mobile readers mounted on 80 patrol vehicles, the outlet reported.
The shooting occurred near 26th and Walnut. Even so, citywide numbers show homicides trending downward this year. Homicides in Milwaukee were down 30% through June 30 compared with 2025. Milwaukee also recorded homicides in both 2025 and 2024. The article discusses homicide rates in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin.
Ford remains in custody as the case moves through the court system. All charges against him are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
