Milwaukee mother shot, killed during domestic incident; man charged
The Brief
Prosecutors said a teen shot his stepfather and inadvertently killed his mother while trying to stop a domestic violence incident.
The shooting happened near 15th and Cherry.
The stepfather is now charged with felony murder in the case.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County prosecutors said a teen shot his stepfather and inadvertently killed his mother while trying to stop a domestic violence incident last month. Now, the stepfather is charged with felony murder in the case.
The backstory
Police were called to the scene around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, April 18. Court filings said detectives found nine rifle casings. Two people – 26-year-old Ziare Dalton, who is now charged, and the mother – were shot. Dalton was taken to a hospital and survived, while the mother later died of her wounds.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
What they're saying
According to a criminal complaint, a police officer rode with Dalton in an ambulance from the shooting scene to the hospital. Dalton said he was arguing with the mother when her 17-year-old son – his stepson – shot him.
Court filings said two other children, ages 11 and 9, were home when Dalton and the mother began to argue. The 11-year-old said Dalton was hitting the mother and yelling "bad words." The 11-year-old also said Dalton had hit the mother before and "she couldn't do anything to stop it."
The 17-year-old came home during the argument and tried to deescalate the situation, per the complaint. The 11-year-old said Dalton threatened to kill the 17-year-old, and the mother then called 911.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
In the 911 call, court filings said the mother was heard telling the dispatcher that Dalton was hitting her and the 17-year-old while threatening to kill the 17-year-old. Dalton could be heard in the background screaming at the 17-year-old – "encouraging him to fire the gun." The call captured multiple gunshots before it disconnected.
Detectives later interviewed the 17-year-old, who is charged in a separate case with a gun-related felony and a misdemeanor – but not with shooting his mother or stepfather. The complaint states Dalton had hit his mother before, including the previous night, and had threatened to kill him and his family members.
The 17-year-old told detectives, per the complaint, that on the night of the shooting he heard Dalton jump on his mother as she yelled for him to stop. He then grabbed a gun and shot Dalton multiple times. He said he did not know his mother was in the line of fire and shot at Dalton to "protect his family." He also said Dalton kept multiple guns in the house.
What's next
Ziare Dalton is charged with one count: felony murder – attempted battery. Court records show he's being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $10,000 bond.
Editor's note: Since the time of the shooting, the 17-year-old has since turned 18 years old. For clarity, and to reflect the situation at the time of the shooting, FOX6 News is identifying him as a 17-year-old in this report. FOX6 News is not naming him because he is not charged with killing his mother or wounding Dalton and was identified in the complaint against Dalton as a threatened individual in the domestic violence incident.
The Source
Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
4-year-old child injured by gunshot at Colorado home
Police say a 4-year-old child is hurt after a shooting at Colorado home. Police in Aurora got a call right after 10:30 a.m. about the shooting. It happened right around the corner from a medical clinic off East Exposition Avenue and South Sable Boulevard. So far it's not clear how badly the child was hurt. That child was taken to a medical center after getting injured. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation.


CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
Two men injured in southwest Miami-Dade stabbing, sheriff's office says
Two people were injured in a stabbing Monday morning in southwest Miami-Dade. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said just after 10:30 a.m. deputies were dispatched to the area of Brid Road and SW 112 Avenue to check out reports of a person armed with a knife. When deputies arrived, they took one man into custody, according to the sheriff's office. Two men with were taken to an area trauma center by Miami -Dade Fire Rescue. One of the men was in critical condition, the other was listed as stable. Deputies cordoned off a TD Bank parking lot with crime scene tape during the investigation. The bank was closed during this time. They also cordoned off a Miami-Dade transit bus on Bird Road at SW 107 Avenue, which the sheriff's office called a secondary scene. This is a developing story, check back for updated information.


New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Man Charged in Minnesota Assassination Could Face Federal Death Penalty
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota praised Hope Hoffman, the daughter of State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, saying her actions at the family home after a gunman wounded her parents were 'heroic' and saved countless lives. The suspected gunman, Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested on Sunday after a two-day manhunt, the largest in state history. Officials said the suspect entered the Hoffmans' home in suburban Minneapolis early Saturday by posing as a police officer. Hope Hoffman called 911, according to charging documents, prompting a law enforcement alert that led officers to also check the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman nearby. On arrival at the Hortmans' house, officers exchanged gunfire with the gunman before he escaped. Ms. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in that attack. 'I'd like to say on behalf of the state of Minnesota, the heroic actions by the Hoffman family and their daughter, Hope, saved countless lives, and we are grateful,' Mr. Tim Walz said at a news conference late Sunday to announce the arrest of Mr. Boelter. Mr. Walz did not elaborate on the Hoffmans' actions. The couple's nephew, Mat Ollig, wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that has since been deleted that Mr. Hoffman's wife, Yvette, 'threw herself onto her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life.' Drew Evans, the head of the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators had talked with the Hoffmans on Sunday but provided no new details about the events at their home. Mr. Boelter, who was charged late Sunday evening with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, possessed a notebook that mentioned about 70 potential targets, including politicians, civic and business leaders, as well as Planned Parenthood centers, according to law enforcement officials. If the officers had not proactively gone to the Hortman home after being alerted to the shooting at the Hoffmans' house, 'I have every confidence that this would have continued throughout the day,' said Mr. Evans. Julie Blaha, a former teacher who is the state auditor of Minnesota, told The Times over the weekend that she had taught seventh-grade math to Hope, who was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition affecting the spine that can cause a range of complications. Ms. Blaha noted that Ms. Hoffman and her husband tried to ensure that their daughter had what she needed to succeed during her childhood. Hope, now an adult, has been an advocate for people with disabilities, Ms. Blaha said. On Sunday, Mr. Walz said that Mr. Hoffman had come out of his final surgery and 'was moving toward recovery.' He said that his wife, Yvette, was 'healing.' Mr. Hoffman was shot nine times and Ms. Hoffman was shot eight times, according to a social media post Sunday by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who said she received an encouraging update from the family. The Hoffman family issued a statement just before midnight local time Sunday, expressing gratitude to law enforcement and the public. 'John and I are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation,' the statement said. 'There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life. We are devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark, and our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved them both. We are always at our best when we unite together.'