16-year-old suspect in Juneteenth shooting that hurt 6 sent to adult court

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — A judge Tuesday waived to adult court a 16-year-old boy charged in a shooting after a Juneteenth celebration last year that left six people wounded.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kristela Cervera granted prosecutors’ request to try the teen as an adult.

Cervera said the seriousness of the teen’s alleged offenses outweighed mitigating factors presented by his defense.

“These are charges that are extremely serious, and it’s not in the public’s best interest for the juvenile court to retain jurisdiction at this time,” Cervera said.

Cervera set his bail at $250,000.

When he was first charged as a 15-year-old, the youth faced four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety as a party to a crime, two counts of first-degree reckless injury as a party to a crime, and one count each of possession of a firearm by adjudicated delinquent, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, disorderly conduct and violation of nonsecure custody order.

The June 19 shooting outside a church injured two males ages 17 and 19 and four girls or women ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. All six shooting victims survived.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a fight between young women outside the church, police said.

A Facebook Live video of the aftermath showed paramedics treating people with gunshot wounds on the pavement of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where thousands of people had filled the street for the city’s Juneteenth festival just 20 minutes earlier.