Man charged in death of Vincent student
Pair, who had formerly dated, were talking in car when senior was shot
A 19-year-old Milwaukee man was charged Friday in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend who was a senior at Vincent High School.
Marvin Patterson was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of 18-year-old Kiara Brown. Brown died after being shot while she was in a car on the city’s northwest side early Monday.
Soon after the shooting, police said the two had a prior relationship and were investigating if her killing was a domestic-violence related homicide.
Patterson turned himself in to police on Tuesday and was booked into the Milwaukee County Jail where
he was being held on $300,000 bail.
He told detectives he and Brown were talking in the car and he decided to point the gun at her head and that “when he did so that the gun went off and shot” Brown, according to the criminal complaint.
Patterson told police he did not intend to kill her, and after the shooting “he freaked out and drove the car into an alley and left (Brown) in the car” and fled, the complaint says.
The shooting was reported about 5:30 a.m. Monday in the 9800 block of W. Carmen Ave.
Brown’s mother told WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) her daughter and Patterson had broken up about a year ago, but he had resumed contact with her recently.
“He took my baby,” Kenisha Brown said. “He turned himself in, but it’s not going to make me feel better. It’s not going to take the pain away.”
Brown’s family is raising funds for her funeral costs.
“She was the most sweetest child and young adult I knew,” her aunt wrote on the fundraising page. “She was a beautiful spirited young woman, who came from good family values . ... She had many friends and everyone who knew her loved her. She will be truly missed and we appreciate all support and prayers.”
Visitation and funeral services for Brown are scheduled for next week at Krause Funeral Home, 9000 W. Capitol Drive.
Donations for Kiara Brown’s funeral are being accepted online at www.gofundme.com/kiarasmemorialfund.
The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at (414) 933-2722. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233.