A Milwaukee man is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend inside her home near North 77th Street and West Carmen Avenue early last Saturday. Earlier that day, she had told him to move out and taken away his key; later, after she went on a date with another man, the confrontation turned deadly. Tavarris Jones, 41, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse modifiers, and faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint, Kazzie Ference told Jones he had to leave her house and took away his key before the confrontation turned deadly, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Authorities say Jones shot Ference after learning she had gone on a date with another man earlier that night. Family members have identified the victim as Kazzie Ference; WISN reports she was 42, while another account lists her age as 44, and the discrepancy has not been resolved.
A 9-year-old child told investigators she saw Jones point a weapon at her mother's head and pull the trigger, according to WISN. The same child said Jones told her to go to her room. WISN reported that video showed Jones leaving the home around 1:50 a.m.
Children Found Her and Called 911
A child called 911 after finding Ference unresponsive with serious bleeding inside the home. Her older daughter told investigators she heard two loud bangs. Three children let Milwaukee police officers into the home after two officers were dispatched to the scene around 2:38 a.m. last Saturday, the same report notes. Police found Ference dead from multiple gunshot wounds, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A detective recovered two bullet casings near her body, while WISN similarly reported investigators found two brass casings near where she was found. Per the complaint, Jones told Ference, “You not gonna cheat on me no more cus you dead,” during the encounter. Ference's oldest daughter told investigators her mother had gone on a date with another man earlier that night; Jones was the father of four of Ference's children.
Family Describes 'Senseless Act'
Ference was the mother of eight children.
Jones made an initial court appearance on Oct. 14 and is due back in court on Oct. 19.
Part of a Troubling Pattern in Milwaukee
Ference's death adds to a grim local pattern. A review by jsonline.com identified 178 homicides tied to domestic, family or intimate-partner violence in Milwaukee County between 2016 and 2022, with intimate-partner violence accounting for 39.3% of those cases. The same review found that 28.5% of domestic-violence and intimate-partner homicides happened when a victim was leaving the relationship, had filed for divorce, or had a restraining order against the suspect, and that at least 16% of Milwaukee's homicides in 2022 were tied to domestic or family violence.
As of Oct. 1, 2026, at least 69 people had died in Wisconsin from domestic and family violence this year, per Domestic Violence Homicide Help, which tracks such cases including related perpetrator suicides.
Resources for Those Affected
Survivors or anyone affected by domestic violence can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673. In Milwaukee, Sojourner Family Peace Center operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722. Kids Matter Inc. provides free legal services and specialized assistance to people caring for children impacted by domestic violence and homicide, along with free online resources, and can be reached at 414-344-1220.
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault both maintain statewide directories of resources, while We Are Here Milwaukee offers information on culturally specific organizations. Victim advocates can assist with safety planning, and calls to victim advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement.
